Our Portfolio
We are comitted to investing in companies which solve economic, health, lifestyle and
environmental issues through biology.
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Investment Philosophy
First Bight will focus primarily on U.S. early-stage synthetic biology companies. We look for exceptional founders and technologies that are able to transform how we make things through biology. These companies will help the world to address the biggest challenges facing our world: health, supply chain, energy transition, employment, inflation, climate change and the environment.
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Investment Strategy
First Bight targets investments of $3-5M per company and will seek board position. We will leverage The BioWell and our network to bring strategic partners to support and accelerate the technologies into commercially viable products.
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Our Startups
Visolis uses Synthetic Biology to manufacture high-performance materials. The company’s systems approach integrates innovations in Synthetic Biology, chemical catalysis, and process scale-up to enable new bio-based manufacturing platforms.
Financing Round: Seed
Location: Hayward, CA
Vertical(s): Chemicals, Bioindustrial
Founder(s): Deepak Dugar, PhD/MBA
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Recent Press for Visolis
April 24, 2023
Visolis and Ginkgo Bioworks Announce Partnership to Improve Microbial Strain
Ginkgo Bioworks
Sept 19, 2019
Visolis Recognized as One of “the 50 Next Companies to Disrupt the World”
The Digest
Persephone is pioneering the use of synthetic biology for the development of microbial products that impact patient and infant health. Persephone is building an end-to-end platform to industrialize the development of engineered cells that restore health to damaged human ecosystems. The company was founded in the summer of 2017 by synthetic and metabolic engineering pioneers Stephanie Culler PhD, and Steve Van Dien PhD.
Financing Round: Seed
Location: San Diego, CA
Vertical(s): Health, Bio Tech
Founder(s): Stephanie Culler, PhD; Steve Van Dien, PhD
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Recent Press for Persephone
April 27, 2023
“Cancer & the Gut Biome” with Stephanie Culler, Ph.D.
Angel Invest Boston
July 19, 2022
Persephone Biosciences, Pioneers In Synthetic Biology, Lands $15M In Seed Funding
Grit Daily
July 19, 2022
Can bacteria in your gut boost cancer therapies? A San Diego startup thinks so
The San Diego-Union Tribune
July 19, 2002
Persephone puts poop to work to explore and heal your gut microbiome
TechCrunch