SCI Ventures: Philanthropy Fund Launched to Advance Restorative Therapies for Spinal Cord Injuries

SCI Ventures announced the launch its first fund. The new venture philanthropy vehicle is focused on funding and promoting innovative treatments for spinal injury. SCI Ventures is committed to advancing breakthroughs for paralyzed people by supporting promising cures and emerging technologies. This fund was launched with $27 millions in commitments, and expects to raise $40 million by the year’s end.

There are few options available to deal with the impact of SCI on quality of life for over 15 million people worldwide. Paralysis affects bowel, bladder and sexual functions, and is associated with significant financial costs.

SCI is a very expensive medical condition to manage. The average lifetime costs can be in the millions. SCI Ventures has a team of professionals who have expertise in venture capital, science, and technology with deep personal connections. It is advised by world-class neuroscience experts.

SCI Ventures, as an early-stage investment firm with extensive sector experience, aims to catalyze the funding of SCIs. There are many similarities between spinal cord injury and other conditions, such as strokes and neurodegenerative disorders. SCI Ventures believes that the technologies supported by the Fund are likely to have a large impact on the SCI community.

SCI Ventures is the first time five of the most prominent foundations in the U.S.A., U.K. and EU that address spinal cord injuries have joined forces to support a new investment vehicle.

The co-founders of the Shepherd Center are the International Spinal Research Trust (ISRT), the Promobilia Foundation and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation pioneered the venture philanthropy model in SCI, and led SCI Ventures to make its first investments in ONWARD Medical & AXONIS Therapeutics. SCI Ventures is building upon this progress and industrializing the fund model.

SCI Ventures, an independently managed fund, focuses on seed and series A financing rounds. It will redeploy 100 percent of its investment gains to additional companies that are working towards the goal of curing parlysis. SCI Ventures will also support up to 20 companies, and has already built a growing portfolio.

1.) ONWARD Medical – Provides targeted stimulation to the spinal cord for movement and other functions. This can be done alone or in conjunction with brain-computer-interface (BCI) technology.

2.) AXONIS Theraputics – Focuses its efforts on drug discovery for neuron revival, neuromodulation and neuromodulation

3.) Sania Therapeutics is a gene therapy company which can target neural circuits that are dysfunctional, starting with spasticity.

4.) AUGMENTAL: Developing the MouthPad – an in-mouth interface to allow hands-free interaction between humans and computers


KEY QUALITIES:


Recent technological and scientific advancements have made recovery possible for the first ever time in history. While treatments for spinal cord injuries have shown promise in laboratory settings, the transfer of these treatments into clinical settings remains a stubborn obstacle .”


We’re bridging the gap by providing financial support and operational assistance to promising early-stage businesses. We plan to lower the investment risk by combining the network and knowledge of the foundations that we support .”


  • Adrien kohn, founding managing director of SCI Ventures


“We are proud to continue to innovate and lead in our shared mission of restoring function to people with paralysis and eventually curing it.” SCI Ventures offers a unique opportunity to bring together leaders in the SCI and paralysis field to offer resources and expertise which, when combined, will create a lasting, positive impact .”


  • Maggie Goldberg, President of the Reeve Foundation


Wings for Life has seen first-hand how difficult it is for people with paralysis to live their lives. We are proud to be part of SCI Ventures as a co-founding partner and enabler of breakthrough therapies. We see great potential for the emerging companies within SCI Ventures portfolio and are more confident than ever before that those who are injured today won’t have to live their lives with paralysis. .”


  • Anita Gerhardter is the Global CEO of Wings for Life