Oct. 23 Quick Takes: RA Capital’s $461M new fund; plus venture rounds for Sirnaomics, 3D Medicines, Zhaoke, Orbus, Araris
New $461M venture fund for RA
RA Capital raised $461 million for its Nexus Fund II, its second venture fund that like 2019’s $300 million Nexus I Fund will invest in private companies backed by the firm’ evergreen fund. Nexus I has invested across 18 therapeutic areas and funded 59 companies, 15 of which have had an IPO or were acquired. The additional capital increases the firm’s capacity for private deals to more than $1.3 billion and total assets under management to about $6.8 billion.
Megaround for RNAi cancer, fibrosis play Sirnaomics
RNAi company Sirnaomics Inc. raised $105 million in a series D financing co-led by existing investor Rotating Boulder Fund, new investor Walvax Biotechnology Co. Ltd. and Sunshine Riverhead Capital. The Gaithersburg, Md.-based company, which is led by founder, President and CEO Patrick Lu, has STP705 in Phase II testing for non-melanoma skin cancer and hypertrophic scar reduction. Sangel Capital, Longmen Capital, HongTao Capital and Alpha Win Capital also participated in the D round...