Yissum biotech unit raises $3m from Chinese investors

Hebrew University's Integra Holdings has received $3 million from Guangxi Wuzhou Pharmaceutical.

Integra Holdings, the biotechnology holdings company of Yissum, the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has received a $3 million investment from China's Guangxi Wuzhou Pharmaceutical Group. The funds raised will be used to advance Integra Holdings’ existing portfolio companies and to create new companies, based on promising projects originating from the Hebrew University.

Integra Holdings, founded by Yissum in 2012, has a portfolio of companies in such therapeutic areas such as oncology, Alzheimer’s disease, infectious diseases, analgesia and inflammation. The innovative products developed by the portfolio companies range in maturity from pre-clinical stages of development, through clinical stages, to registration. Currently, the portfolio includes Ayana, Atox Bio, Avraham Pharmaceuticals, Lipomedix, Tiltan Pharma, Lipocure and HIL Applied Medical, in addition to two new companies, which are now being established and develop products with expected short time to market.

Investors in Integra Holdings are Invatech Holdings, a group of private US and Israeli investors; Halman-Aldubi Provident and Pension Fund; the Funds of Teaching Personnel and the HUJI Provident Fund. Integra Holdings has raised a total of $12 million to date.

“We are pleased to have Guangxi Wuzhou Pharmaceutical Group join as an investor that can also assist us in introducing biotech products and technologies based on research performed at the Hebrew University to the Chinese market,” said Yissum CEO and Integra chairman Yaacov Michlin. “After only two years since its inception, Integra Holdings has obtained an investment at twice its original valuation.”

Integra Holdings CEO Dr. Liana Patt said, “We welcome Guangxi Wuzhou Pharmaceutical Group’s investment and vote of confidence in the therapeutic products of our exclusive companies and our unique model of advancing cutting edge science and innovation towards commercial realization. We look forward to using this investment to advance products currently in the pipeline of our portfolio companies, and forming new companies based on the Hebrew University's most promising inventions in the field of life science.”

This investment was made possible through the local Chinese contacts of the Lakers Holdings Group. Guangxi Wuzhou Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. is a subsidiary of the Guangxi Wuzhou Zongheng Group, a Chinese investment holdings company.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 8, 2014

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2014

groundcover founders credit: Yossi Yarom Israeli observability co groundcover raises $35m

groundcover has developed a “Bring Your Own Cloud” (BYOC) observability solution, redefining the architecture of a modern observability platform.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange credit: Shutterstock MagioreStock Foreign investment in TASE hits five-year high

Foreign investors have been flocking to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in recent weeks, the TASE research department tells "Globes."

Elbit Systems tank turret systems credit: Elbit Systems Elbit Systems wins $100m tank turret systems deal

The Israel defense electronics company will supply its advanced UT30 MK2 unmanned turret systems to General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) to be supplied to a NATO European country.

Tomer Weingarten Photo: PR Trump targets SentinelOne exec in act of revenge

The US administration has suspended the security clearance of the company's chef intelligence and public policy officer Chris Krebs and everyone associated with him.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange share prices rising credit: Tali Bogdanovsky TASE opens sharply higher after Trump U-turn on tariffs

The pause is being interpreted as a climb down after US President Donald Trump admitted he had made the move to calm the markets.

Ashot Ashkelon credit: Ministry of Defense Up 250%, Ashot Ashkelon wins another Defense Ministry order

The Israeli defense company's share price has risen 250% in the past three years since FIMI Opportunity Funds acquired control.

Liad Agmon credit: Eyal Izhar Insight Partners Liad Agmon steps down as managing partner

Serial entrepreneur Agmon has served as a partner at Insight Partners Israel alongside Daniel Aronovitz who set up the Israel office.

Shekels credit: Shutterstock Vladerina32 Shekel slide resumes amid escalating tariff war

The Bank of Israel is not expected to intervene in the forex market despite the sharp depreciation of the shekel.

Nir Zuk credit: Inbal Marmari Palo Alto Networks mulls buying AI security co for $700m

Sources inform "Globes" that on Palo Alto's radar is Protect AI.

President Donald Trump hosts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credit: Reuters Kevin Mohatt Israeli officials confident on US tariff concessions

Senior Israeli figures believe that concessions could be tied to progress on strategic regional political issues that are important to President Trump.

Phoenix Investment House CEO Avner Hadad  credit: Tommy Harpaz "The market has priced in all the bad things"

Phoenix Investment House CEO Avner Hadad says US markets could continue to fall, but that we are close to interesting territory for patient investors.

Tel Aviv credit: Shutterstock Tel Aviv slips in World's Wealthiest Cities ranking

Tel Aviv's position as one of the world's wealthiest cities took a big knock over the past year as it slipped from 42nd to 48th in investment advisors Henley & Co.'s "World's Wealthiest Cities" Top 50 ranking.

Leviathan platform  credit: Albatross C'ttee seen recommending no cut in gas exports

The Dayan committee on the future of the gas sector estimates that Israel's natural gas reserves will run out in 2045.

Accountant General Yali Rothenberg credit: Rafi Kutz Israel's fiscal deficit continues to narrow

The deficit narrowed in the twelve months to the end of March 2025, for the sixth consecutive month, Ministry of Finance accountant general Yali Rothenberg reported today.

Arkia credit: Arkia Arkia cuts Tel Aviv - New York April fares

Arkia has cut fares at the last minute, a time when prices usually soar even higher, according to the pricing method used in the industry.

Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron credit: Dani Shem Tov Knesset Spokesperson BoI Governor: US tariffs could push up inflation in Israel

Prof. Amir Yaron tells "Globes" that there is a risk that the new tariffs will cause inflation to rise in the US, with a knock-on effect for Israel.

Twitter Facebook Linkedin RSS Newsletters גלובס Israel Business Conference 2018