Hi everyone,

This month we have an update on Anzu portfolio company, Nature’s Toolbox, Inc. (NTx), straight from its CEO, Jamie Coffin, Ph.D.

Jamie joined NTx earlier this year and last month the company announced a $47.5M Series B funding round. Thanks to Jamie for sharing more on NTx’s recent momentum!

Hello Anzu Partners community,

I’m Jamie Coffin, CEO of NTx, a New Mexico-based life sciences company building next generation platforms to manufacture RNA and protein. I have been at NTx since February of this year and am excited about the direction the company is headed.

Since the human genome was mapped in 2003, the healthcare industry has been poised for a massive change in how we develop therapies. For the first time, we could envision how an individual’s personal data could be used in creating targeted therapies to treat disease. To achieve the promise of personalized therapy, we need the ability to rapidly identify valuable new biomolecules, such as proteins, as well as manufacture small volumes of targeted doses quickly. We believe that this is not possible with conventional drug manufacturing methods.

The COVID-19 pandemic uncovered serious inadequacies in our supply chain and manufacturing capabilities globally. We must take a different approach to prepare for the next pandemic. We prioritize the local sustainability of raw materials for mRNA as well as enable the ability for distributed manufacturing.

The NTxscribe® platform is a cell-free, continuous flow manufacturing system that addresses the aforementioned challenges by delivering adaptable RNA materials in a small footprint that can scale from personalized medicine dosage to pandemic volume. NTxscribe is currently being deployed in biopharma research and development to expedite mRNA therapeutic development. It is also being evaluated in the first Vaccines-on-Demand contract awarded by BARDA DRIVe for pandemic preparedness.

Under that contract, we are working alongside Houston Methodist Hospital to demonstrate the potential of our NTxscribe platform to meet the needs for a scalable, rapidly deployable RNA manufacturing capability to support global vaccine preparedness and response.

Prior to the BARDA contract announcement, Gingko Bioworks engaged NTx to fulfill a DARPA contract for Reimagining Protein Manufacturing due to the slow response time of conventional protein production methods. The 4-year contract, worth up to $18 million, will address this challenge through our NTxpress® platform.

NTx just announced a $47.5M Series B funding round led by RA Capital Management with participation from Anzu Partners, and longstanding local New Mexico investor BlueStone Venture Partners. The financing will help us to accelerate development of our NTxscribe® and NTxpress® platforms as well as drive commercial growth. This was the largest Series B round raised by a New Mexico life sciences company in recent history and many publications featured the announcement, including Endpoints News, Albuquerque Business First, the Rio Rancho Observer, Fortune Term Sheet, and Fierce Pharma.

We are also thrilled to welcome Peter Kolchinsky, Ph.D., Managing Partner at RA Capital to our Board of Directors. Peter is a respected leader and investor in life sciences companies seeking to advance the science of medicine. His valuable guidance will provide additional insight on how NTx can make the greatest impact in a short amount of time with leading biopharma, healthcare, and government entities.

2024 will be a proving year for us where we see NTx technologies placed in biopharma, medical research, and government settings. I am optimistic about the opportunity in front of us and the chance to make an indelible impact on the world’s approach to manufacturing critical molecules and medicines.

I am grateful to be surrounded by a strong team of scientific and commercial leaders at NTx who bring innovation, experience, and passion to the job every day. Be sure to follow NTx on LinkedIn for real time updates.

Thank you,

Jamie Coffin, Ph.D.,

CEO, NTx

PORTFOLIO COMPANY UPDATES

6K Additive Acquired Global Metal Powders, LLC, Announced a Strategic Partnership with Metal Powder Works, and Received Certification from SCS Global Servies for Recycled Content

6K Additive, a division of 6K Inc. and leader in the sustainable production of materials for additive manufacturing and metal alloys, announced it has acquired Global Metal Powders (GMP) for an undisclosed amount.

The acquisition brings additional proprietary manufacturing and recycling capabilities used in preparing material before the UniMelt® spheroidizing process. In combination with the recently announced doubling of manufacturing capacity, the acquisition solidifies 6K Additive’s position as the world leader in sustainable titanium and refractory metal powder production. Using GMP’s proprietary technology, 6K Additive will manufacture customized powders from a variety of revert streams across many metal alloys including, titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and tungsten (W). GMP’s manufacturing plant is based in New Castle, PA, and 6K Additive will continue manufacturing processes at this facility.

The acquisition was covered by TCT Magazine (article & interview), VoxelMatters, PM Review, 3DPrint.com, and ETMM.

 6K Additive also announced the signing of an MOU and strategic partnership with Metal Powder Works (MPW) to produce pure copper, copper alloys, leading to strategically important powders such as copper/nickel, and bronze alloy powders for additive manufacturing. The high yield production achievable with both Metal Powder Works’ DirectPowder™ Process and 6K Additive’s UniMelt® microwave plasma ensures economic advantages, faster time to market, and sustainable production from both feedstock creation and the production of these materials.

This news was covered by TCT Magazine, SME Media, and Metal AM.

Additionally, 6K Additive’s titanium powder (Ti-6AL-4V) has been independently certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Global Services, a global third-party auditing and certification organization, for achieving a minimum 95% post-consumer recycled titanium content. The SCS Recycled Content Certification evaluates products made from pre-consumer or post-consumer material diverted from the waste stream. This certification measures the percentage of recycled content for the purpose of making an accurate claim in the marketplace.

The new certification was covered by TCT Magazine.

BioSkryb Genomics Appointed Ram Laxman as Chief Commercial Officer

BioSkryb Genomics, a company transforming single-cell analysis by enabling the most complete multiomic view of the cellular ecosystem, from discovery to diagnostics, has appointed Ram Laxman, Ph.D., as Chief Commercial Officer. Dr. Laxman will lead sales and support, commercial strategy and operations, and marketing as BioSkryb continues to scale its global presence. He brings strong executive leadership experience and an extensive track record of building and scaling businesses at companies like 10x Genomics, Pacific Biosciences, and Illumina.

Dr. Laxman joins BioSkryb from 10x Genomics, where he served as the President and General Manager, APAC. As the company’s first hire in APAC, he was instrumental in building 10x Genomics’ presence in the region. He established the Asian operational headquarters in Singapore, oversaw all aspects of the commercial business, managed a team of approximately 100 colleagues across offices in Singapore, Shanghai, and Tokyo, and scaled its APAC revenue to over $100 million.

This news was covered by Genome Web and BioSpace.

TeraPore Technologies Appointed Mani Krishnan as President and Chief Operating Officer

TeraPore Technologies, a leading nanofiltration innovator, has appointed Mani Krishnan as President and Chief Operating Officer, effective October 2023. This has expanded his role within the company from board member to streamlining company operations and driving the commercial deployment of the IsoBlock® VF product line. He also remains an active board member.

“TeraPore is at an inflection point as we prepare to launch our disruptive virus filtration products into the biopharmaceutical market. Mani has been an active advisor for over a year, providing valuable insight and access across the industry,” Rachel Dorin, Founder and CEO of TeraPore Technologies said. “We are delighted for Mani to join our team and bring his wealth of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry as we build out our commercial capabilities.”

“While on the board I have had the pleasure of spending considerable time with the talented TeraPore team. The positive team environment and proprietary self-assembled block copolymer technology are what convinced me to step out of retirement and take on this exciting challenge,” said new President and COO, Mani Krishnan. “As I settle into this role, my priority will be to provide the team with the tools that they need to bring this exciting technology to our biopharmaceutical customers. We will take a continuous learning approach to providing a novel solution for a challenging application in the highly regulated bioprocessing market, while also looking to expand the promise of this technology in other critical separation applications.”

This news was covered by BioProcess International.

Azumo Collaborated with AUO on High-Resolution, Low Power, 64 Color Reflective LCD

Azumo, the leader in thin, low power light transmission, and AUO, world-leading innovators in display technologies, released a 3.4” color display module for industrial and ruggedized commercial handheld device makers. This module offers vibrant colors and an upgraded HMI for users without killing product power budgets. It is the first AUO display commercially available with Azumo LCD 2.0 front light technology.

Combining AUO’s low power MIP display with Azumo’s Front Light Panel, creates the most efficient color MIP display with integrated lighting on the market. Azumo LCD 2.0 modules are known for energy efficiency. As opposed to transflective displays that are unnaturally lit from rear mounted back lights, front lit memory LCDs work innately with the panels reflective properties. This approach drives huge power savings. By adding the Azumo front light, product designers save 57% of the power consumed by backlit solutions mounted to the same AUO display.

 NUBURU Secured $5.5 Million in Bridge Financing, Completed its Contract with the U.S. Air Force, was Awarded a Purchase Order from a Major Multinational Electronics Manufacturer, and Appointed Brian Knaley as CEO

NUBURU, a leading innovator in high-power and high-brightness industrial blue laser technology, announced it has entered into a secured bridge loan with existing investors and a new institutional investor. The Bridge Financing with a principal amount of $5.5 million is intended to finance the company until it secures long-term credit financing, which is anticipated in the near term.

The news was covered by Semiconductor Today, Optics.org, Photonics Media, Go Photonics, and Laser Systems Europe.

Additionally, NUBURU successfully completed the AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract awarded by the U.S. Air Force to NUBURU in 2022. NUBURU, supported by GE Additive, a world leader in metal additive manufacturing, successfully demonstrated blue laser-based 3D printing solutions with area printing technology as set forth in the contract as the goal for the project.

This first-ever demonstration of using a blue laser beam shaped with a digital micromirror device (DMD) to print a part in stainless steel marks a milestone in the development of a 3D printing light engine for incorporation into large scale additive manufacturing systems. NUBURU and GE Additive also signed a joint development agreement in June of 2023 to accelerate the development of print engine technology that may result in improved speed and accuracy for laser-based additive manufacturing.

This news was covered by 3DPrintr and Photonics Online.

NUBURU was also awarded a purchase order from a best in class, multinational electronics manufacturer with manufacturing capabilities across Asia, Latin America, Europe and the U.S., to supply a BL-250 for next-generation computers, consumer electronics and communication (3C) device manufacturing. NUBURU’s transformational blue laser technology will be utilized in a research and development capacity to demonstrate the integration of its laser welding capabilities as an alternative to conventional soldering manufacturing techniques. By integrating NUBURU’s patented BL-250 product, current manufacturing capabilities are expanded to enable new product designs, increase manufacturing throughput, enhance the overall sustainability of manufacturing, and achieving ROHS compliance by eliminating lead-based solders.

The news was covered by Semiconductor Today, Photonics Online, and Seeking Alpha.

Finally, NUBURU announced the appointment of Brian Knaley as the Company’s new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Knaley has also joined NUBURU’s Board of Directors upon assuming the role.

Knaley, who had served as NUBURU’s Chief Financial Officer since February 2022, has over 25 years of experience in finance and operations. Prior to joining NUBURU, Knaley served as the chief financial officer of CEA Industries Inc, a provider of controlled environmental solutions, and as chief financial officer of Proximo Medical LLC, a start-up specializing in the commercialization of medical devices. He also served as senior vice president and interim chief financial officer of ViewRay, a global manufacturer of MRI-guided radiation therapy systems. Knaley holds a BA in Accounting from Thomas More College and is a licensed CPA in the State of Ohio.

The news was covered by Market Watch, Semiconductor Today, Photonics Media, Best Stocks, and Laser Systems Europe.

Zeteo Tech Secured a New U.S. Patent for Rapid and Autonomous Detection of Aerosol Particles

Zeteo Tech, the biodefense and medical device company that has developed a revolutionary new class of fieldable biological mass spectrometers and innovative human breath detection technologies, announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 11658021, titled “Systems and Methods of Rapid and Autonomous Detection of Aerosol Particles.”

Using the patented “point-of-need” portable threat detection system, air samples can be automatically collected and analyzed for chemical and biological aerosolized threat agents, including bacteria, viruses, toxins, and chemicals such as fentanyl. The system’s sophisticated microfluidics, control architecture, threat agent library, and AI/ML software enable threat identification with high specificity and sensitivity within just a few minutes. This technology can help protect life and critical infrastructure by enabling rapid detection, which in turn can accelerate the initiation of emergency management protocols.

ADDITIONAL PC MEDIA COVERAGE

• South 8 Technologies was named one of Fast Company’s 2023 Next Big Things in Tech in the small and mighty tech companies category. 
• GelSight's VP of Global Distribution and Key Accounts Thierry Mantel wrote an article for Aerospace Manufacturing Magazine on the benefits of digital tactile sensing in aerospace manufacturing and maintenance.
• BioSkryb Genomics' Senior Director of R&A Jon Zawistowski contributed an article to Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News on investigating breast cancer using comprehensive, rich reporting of DNA & RNA.
• NanoCellect also sponsored an article in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News on simplifying single-cell isolation for cell line engineering and omics applications. 
• OTI Lumionics' VP of Materials Discovery Scott Genin had a Q&A with Enter Quantum on how quantum computing can help develop materials for smartphone displays. 

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ABOUT ANZU PARTNERS

Anzu Partners is an investment firm that focuses on industrial and life science technology companies with the potential to transform their industries. Anzu works with entrepreneurs to develop and commercialize technological innovations by providing capital alongside deep expertise in business development, market positioning, intellectual property, global connectivity, and operations. For more information, please visit https://anzupartners. com/.