Sana Biotechnology
Facts
- HQ
- Washington state
- Sectors
- Biotechnology, Gene editing
- Founded
- 2018 Seattle business license
- Type
- Corporation Seattle business license
- Registered name
- Sana Biotechnology Inc Seattle business license
- Stage
- Public
Sana Biotechnology Appoints Brian Piper as CFO; Aptevo CEO Marvin White to Step Down in April; Violett Names Scott Kushino CEO
Brian Piper was appointed CFO and executive vice president at Sana Biotechnology, while Marvin White will step down as Aptevo CEO in April, succeeded by COO Jeff Lamothe. Additionally, Scott Kushino became CEO of Seattle startup Violett, and several other leadership changes occurred across Seattle and New York tech companies.
Nobel Laureate David Baker Drives Protein Design Innovation and Startup Growth at University of Washington
David Baker, Nobel Prize winner and head of the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington, is focused on advancing protein design research and entrepreneurship, having helped spawn over 20 startups in Seattle's biotech hub. He plans to continue accelerating scientific innovation in the field, which develops new proteins for therapeutics, vaccines, and materials.
Seattle Tech Vet Peter Horadan Named CEO of Vouched to Lead AI-Driven Identity Verification Amid Rising Deepfake Concerns
Peter Horadan, an experienced Seattle tech executive formerly with Avalara and Lockstep, has become CEO of identity verification startup Vouched. He aims to leverage AI to address rising challenges in online identity verification amidst deepfakes, while co-founder John Baird transitions to chief strategy officer.
Sana Biotechnology Opens $80M Manufacturing Facility in Bothell to Scale Cancer and Gene Therapy Production
Sana Biotechnology inaugurated its new 80,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Bothell, Washington, dedicated to producing its proprietary cancer drug program and future therapies. The company, known for its gene-editing technology and multiple drugs in human trials including for cancer, autoimmune diseases, and type 1 diabetes, sees this expansion as a key step in advancing scalable cell and gene therapies.
Seattle Tech Startups Eye IPO Revival in 2024 After Two-Year Drought Amid Market Stabilization
Seattle's tech industry has seen no traditional IPOs in over two years amid a market slowdown, but optimism is growing for more public listings in 2024 due to a stabilized macroeconomic environment and a rising stock market. Experts caution that realistic pricing and market conditions will influence which startups decide to go public.
Century Therapeutics Cuts 25% Staff, Closes Seattle and Hamilton Sites, R&D Head Hyam Levitsky to Resign by Jan 31
Century Therapeutics is closing its Seattle hub and cutting 25% of its workforce, including a shutdown of its Hamilton, Ontario location, as it shifts priorities and extends its cash runway to 2026. The company’s president of R&D, Hyam Levitsky, plans to resign by January 31, and Century is de-prioritizing programs for glioblastoma and blood cancers.
University of Washington Launches Vilya with $50 Million to Develop Membrane-Permeable Peptide Drugs
University of Washington researchers developed custom peptides that penetrate cell membranes, enabling a new class of drugs with combined benefits of small molecules and protein therapeutics. They founded Vilya, backed by $50 million from Arch Venture Partners, to commercialize this drug platform described in Cell.
Affini-T Therapeutics launched by Fred Hutch scientists including Juno co-founder Philip Greenberg to develop engineered TCR cancer therapies
Affini-T Therapeutics, founded by Fred Hutch scientists including Philip Greenberg (a Juno co-founder), Aude Chapuis and Thomas Schmitt, launched to develop T cell receptor (TCR) cancer immunotherapies that add engineered CD8 co-receptors and other gene edits. The Boston-headquartered company, led by CEO Jak Knowles, was unveiled at the J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference and will operate a research lab in Seattle.
GeekWire updates Seattle list as Highspot raises $248M at $3.5B; SeekOut and Icertis added to 16 local unicorns
GeekWire updated its list of Seattle-area 'unicorn' startups (privately held companies valued at $1B+) after additions and a valuation change for Icertis, noting recent entrants like SeekOut and Highspot, which raised $248 million at a $3.5 billion valuation. The article highlights that the Seattle cohort includes 16 unicorns, none led by a female or Black CEO, and that many CEOs have Microsoft backgrounds amid a global surge in unicorns and venture funding.
CBRE: U.S. life-sciences VC tops $30B; Seattle-area firms raise $898M amid scarce lab space
A CBRE report shows U.S. life sciences venture funding topped $30 billion for the 12 months ending September 2021, driving strong demand for lab space and record capital raises in Seattle-area companies that pulled in $898 million during that period. Washington state also saw rising life-science employment and multiple biotech IPOs in 2021, including large offerings from Sana Biotechnology, Absci and Icosavax.
Alexandria Executive Chairman Joel Marcus Says Pandemic Is Shifting Biotech Toward Hubs Like Seattle as Investment Surges
Alexandria Real Estate Equities chairman Joel Marcus says the pandemic is accelerating biotech investment and changing industry geography, reinforcing hubs like Seattle where his company has extensive lab real estate, tenants, and venture investments.
Life Science Washington CEO Leslie Alexandre to retire after leading state’s biotech resurgence as 2021 IPOs raise hundreds of millions
Leslie Alexandre, president and CEO of Life Science Washington, is retiring after five years leading the group during a period of strong growth in Washington state's biotech sector that recovered from a 2016 slump. The region has seen several major biotech IPOs in 2021 (including Sana Biotechnology's $587M, Absci's $200M, and Icosavax's $180M+), growing research strength and recognition as an emerging biotech market.
Remitly prices IPO at $43, values company near $7B and raises $300M+ as shares debut on NASDAQ
Remitly, a 10-year-old mobile remittance company, priced its IPO at $43 per share valuing the firm near $7 billion and raised over $300 million in net proceeds as it began trading on NASDAQ; shares opened at $53 and closed at $48.45 on debut. CEO Matt Oppenheimer framed the IPO as a step in the company’s mission to simplify cross-border money transfers for immigrants and their families.
Remitly files to raise up to $332.6M in IPO at roughly $6.5B valuation with $38–$42 price range
Remitly set IPO terms expecting to raise $284.6 million (up to $332.6 million with overallotment) at $38–$42 a share, valuing the Seattle fintech about $6.5 billion. The company reported $202M revenue and a $9.2M net loss in the first half of the year and competes with firms like Wise and Zepz.
Remitly files S-1 ahead of IPO after 2020 revenue doubles to $257M and $1.5B valuation
Remitly filed an S-1 ahead of a conventional IPO, reporting $257M revenue and a $32.5M net loss for 2020 and $202M revenue with a $9.2M loss in H1 of the current year, with a $1.5B valuation from a July funding round and roughly $16.1B in trailing 12-month send volume.
Icosavax IPO: Seattle biotech raises $180M, stock jumps 200% on first trading day (ICVX)
Seattle biotech Icosavax surged more than 200% on its NASDAQ debut after raising over $180 million by pricing shares at $15; the company develops virus-like particle vaccines and recently began phase 1/2 trials for a COVID-19 vaccine supported by a $10 million Gates Foundation grant.
Sana Biotechnology to build 163,000 sq ft Fremont biomanufacturing facility to produce T cell therapies, stem cells and viral DNA
Sana Biotechnology will build a 163,000 sq. ft. biomanufacturing facility in Fremont, California to produce T cell therapies, human stem cells, and viral DNA, expanding its operations beyond Seattle after a $587 million IPO. The three-year-old gene-editing and cell therapy company plans to use the site for late-stage clinical and early commercial manufacturing and is hiring across Seattle, San Francisco, and Boston.
Modulus Therapeutics, spun out of the Allen Institute for AI, raises $3.5M to engineer enhanced NK cell therapies
Modulus Therapeutics, a Seattle cell-therapy startup spun out of the Allen Institute for AI, raised $3.5 million in seed funding to use lab research and machine learning to engineer enhanced natural killer (NK) cells for anti-tumor therapies. Founders Max Darnell and Bryce Daines aim to develop a discovery platform to generate NK cell product candidates for larger cellular therapy companies.
Seattle startups raise record $3.1B in H1 2021, producing 12 local unicorns as Auth0 exits for $6.5B
Seattle-area startups raised a record $3.1 billion across 205 deals in H1 2021, driven by mega-rounds that produced at least 12 local unicorns and broader Pacific Northwest tech funding topping $5 billion. National VC activity and IPO/M&A dollar volumes are also surpassing prior records, with major exits like Auth0’s $6.5 billion acquisition by Okta highlighting regional maturation.
Icosavax files for IPO after raising $150M and advancing nanoparticle COVID-19 and RSV vaccines
Seattle-based Icosavax, a 2017 spinout from the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design, has filed for an IPO after raising over $150 million and advancing nanoparticle-based COVID-19 and RSV vaccine candidates into early clinical trials with support from a $10 million Gates Foundation grant.
Remitly confidentially files draft SEC registration for IPO as it eyes roughly $5 billion valuation
Remitly, a Seattle-based mobile remittance company founded in 2011, confidentially submitted a draft registration statement with the SEC for a proposed IPO while preparing for a potential $5 billion valuation; it previously raised $85 million in July at a $1.5 billion valuation and recently received an undisclosed equity investment from Visa.
GeekWire Awards finalists highlighted as voting closes; virtual winners announced May 20
GeekWire's annual Awards event will be held virtually on May 20 after nearly 200 community nominations and over 6,000 reader votes; finalists are being highlighted for their rising positions on the GeekWire 200 ranking of Pacific Northwest private tech companies. Several finalists have 'exited' the ranking through IPOs or acquisitions, including Auth0, Accolade, Rover, and Sana Biotechnology, while others are not yet ranked.
GeekWire Opens Voting for 13th Annual Awards; Deal of the Year Finalists Include $6.5B Auth0 Acquisition and Multi‑Hundred‑Million Funding Rounds
GeekWire has opened community voting for its 13th annual GeekWire Awards, highlighting Deal of the Year finalists across Fundings and IPOs/Acquisitions from Pacific Northwest tech companies. Voting runs through April 30, winners announced May 20 at the virtual awards presented by Wave Business.
Eliem Therapeutics, led by ex-Alder/Juno CEO Bob Azelby, raises $80M to advance ETX-810 and ETX-155
Eliem Therapeutics, a Seattle biotech led by former Juno and Alder exec Bob Azelby, raised $80 million to advance two drug candidates—ETX-810 for chronic pain and ETX-155 for depressive disorders and seizures—while planning to expand staff from 18 to 26 and operating from Seattle and Cambridge.
SPACs Let Founders Reach Public Markets Faster and Keep Larger Equity Stakes, Say Startup Observers
The article explains how SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies) let founders and early employees reach liquidity faster and often retain larger ownership stakes than through later-stage VC or private equity rounds. Using examples like Sana Biotechnology and Seattle entrepreneur Sujal Patel, it argues SPACs can preserve founders' equity by bypassing dilutive funding rounds.
People
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Steve Harr Executive, Co-founder and CEO
