Investor profile
IBD Ventures
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IBD Ventures is a venture philanthropy program of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation — the only investment fund dedicated exclusively to identifying and funding new product opportunities in the IBD field. The program funds, advises, and provides resources to for-profit companies worldwide, academic institutions, and other organizations seeking to develop novel early-stage products — including therapeutics, devices, diagnostics, and digital health solutions — with the potential to improve remission rates and quality of life for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis). Since its launch in 2017, IBD Ventures has invested in over 30 companies and academic institutions, awarding over $19 million, with only 5% of applicants selected, reflecting a commitment to the most promising and innovative product modalities that clearly address critical unmet patient needs.
Notable quotes
“IBD Ventures is excited to support these three companies, each pioneering transformative therapies that address critical unmet needs of IBD patients. These therapeutics span across diverse modalities, including two groundbreaking ventures in the microbiome realm and one innovative small molecule pill for gut regeneration. Their collective impact holds immense promise for patients suffering from IBD.”
“Identifying and targeting mechanisms of fibrosis development have been critical research priorities for the Foundation. Fibrosis formation and related intestinal obstructions remain leading causes for surgery within the IBD patient population, particularly patients with Crohn's disease. The second investment in Medibiofarma demonstrates our commitment to this unmet clinical need and our acknowledgement of their progress with MBF-118.”
“We are excited about this collaboration with Evotec as part of the Foundation's IBD Therapeutics Incubator because it will transform ideas to therapeutic product opportunities and scientific research into patient solutions. We're actually driving research from idea to therapeutic product opportunity.”
Team
Andrés Hurtado-Lorenzo, PhD
Senior Vice President, Translational Research & IBD Ventures
Russell Wyborski, PhD
Senior Director, IBD Ventures Investments
Nicole MJ Schwerbrock
IBD Ventures Team Member
Jennifer Swantek, PhD
Director, IBD Therapeutics Incubator
Recent investments
| Company | Round | Size | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seres Therapeutics | Grant/Venture Philanthropy | — | 2024-03-08 |
| Allonix (Orange Grove Bio) | Grant/Venture Philanthropy | — | 2024-03-08 |
| Exeliom | Grant/Venture Philanthropy | — | 2024-03-08 |
| Mobius Care | Grant/Venture Philanthropy | — | 2025-01-01 |
| Medibiofarma | Grant/Venture Philanthropy | — | 2025-08-25 |
| Nano Intelligent Biomedical Engineering Corporation (NIBEC) | Grant/Venture Philanthropy | — | 2023-03-01 |
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