NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Multiverse Investment Fund I, LP (Multiverse) (http://www.multiverseinvestmentfund.com) a venture fund geared to investing in gatekeeper bio and high tech companies with potential for significant positive social impact and financial returns, has been launched in West Los Angeles, it was announced by Jack Kavanaugh, one of the managing members of Multiverse’s general partner.
Kavanaugh is a former founder, Chairman and CEO of ZetaRx which became the heart and core of Juno Therapeutics which went public in 2014 and was lauded as the biggest life science IPO of the year reaching an approximately $5.5 billion market cap, and was acquired by Celgene for $10.1 billion.
Multiverse Investment Fund I GP, LLC’s focus is to achieve long-term capital appreciation through investments in health, life science, materials science, energy or high-tech arenas be they in early stage or more mature companies. Specific sub-sectors include cancer therapeutics, biological filters, Alzheimer’s/dementia therapeutics, stromal cell-based immunotherapy, nano-particle therapeutics, auto-immune therapeutics, instantaneous cancer diagnostic device, surface materials that prevent bacterial and fungal growth, immune modulation, alternative energy storage delivery; grid stabilization, anti-aging and age related therapeutics, women-specific therapeutic vaccines, super hard metal for industry, medical, defense, graphene, conductive inks and epoxy. Multiverse is presently invested in 12 companies.
Additional managing members of Multiverse’s general partner include:
Dr. Larry Couture, PhD. -Dr. Couture was the Founding Director and Senior Vice President of the Center for Applied Technology (CAT) at City of Hope where he established and oversaw the offices of IND Development and Regulatory Affairs, Quality Systems, Technology Licensing and COH’s two precedent setting GMP biologics manufacturing facilities, the Center for Biomedicine and Genetics and the Cell Therapy Production Center.
Dr. Keith Black - Dr. Keith Black will be joining the general partner. Dr. Keith Black is the Chairman and Professor of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai and an internationally renowned neurosurgeon and cancer researcher. He is the founding director of the Maine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and Cochran Brain Tumor Center at Cedars-Sinai. A professor of surgery and neurology, he held the Department of Surgery’s Ruth and Raymond Stotter Chair and served as head of both Neurosurgical Oncology and the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program at UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Black has published more than 260 peer reviewed scientific papers been appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine and in PBS’, “The New Explorers”.
Mahi de Silva - Mahi de Silva is one of the leading voices in the application of mobile technology and has a strong record for building businesses that have had $1 billion plus exits. Previous positions include CEO of Opera Mediaworks Inc., EVP of Consumer Mobile at Opera Software ASA, Co-Founder and CEO of AdMarvel Inc., co-founder of Frengo Corporation, where he served as Chairman and CEO and Chairman and Director of PreCash, Inc. He has held various leadership roles at Taligent, Apple and NCR.
Robert Snukal –Robert M Snukal, has been CEO and President of National Quality Care Inc. and served as CEO for several convalescent hospitals and rehabilitation centers. He is the founder of Skilled Healthcare where he was also CEO and President. Snukal was Director of National Quality Care Inc., and a member of the Board of Directors of Skilled Health Care Inc. and Quantason, Inc. Robert was a Canada Council Fellow and Lecturer and Assistant at the University of British Columbia, the University of Sussex in England and the University of Calgary.
Daniel Diamond - Daniel Diamond is a seasoned fund, corporate and securities attorney and principal at Diamond Law Corp. Before starting his own firm, Diamond was at Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, PC, where he was fund attorney to various investment funds including Y Combinator, the world-famous incubator/accelerator.
