Innovation Kyoto 2021 Investment Limited Partnership (hereinafter referred to as "KYOTO-iCAP Fund Ⅱ"), with Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co.,Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Kyoto iCAP") (Headquarters: Sakyo-ku, Kyoto; Representative Director: Ko Kusumi) as its general partner, has recently made a Series A round investment in Arktus Therapeutics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto; Representative Director: Tomohiro Oiwa), which is working on the practical application of regenerative medicine technology using iPS cell-derived cartilage.

Overview of this investment
Arktus Therapeutics is a startup based on the research results of Associate Professor Makoto Ikeya of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) of Kyoto University and Professor Koichi Nakayama of the Research Center for Regenerative Medicine of Saga University School of Medicine. Based on Associate Professor Ikeya's technology for producing high-quality mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and cartilage cells from iPS cells and Professor Nakayama's technology for producing large-area, high-strength, arbitrarily shaped cartilage tissue using a bio 3D printer, the company is working to commercialize regenerative medical products for knee osteoarthritis and other conditions.

In addition to the KYOTO-iCAP Fund Ⅱ, this round includes investment from Kyoto Capital Partners, QB Capital Godo Kaisha, Chushin Venture Capital, Chiiki to Hito to Mirai, Investment Lab, and Sagin Capital & Consulting. KYOTO-iCAP Fund Ⅱ committed 250 million yen of the total amount raised.

With this procurement, Arktus Therapeutics will begin production of scaffold-free regenerated cartilage using iPS cells in compliance with the manufacturing standards for regenerative medical products, and will conduct non-clinical studies with a view to starting clinical trials for knee osteoarthritis.

Company Profile:Arktus TherapeuticsCo., Ltd.
Established : July 6, 2023
Business : Development of artificial joints using iPS cell-derived cartilage
Head Office: 448-5 Kaji-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Representative Director: Tomohiro Oiwa
HP : https://arktustx.com/

About Kyoto University Innovation Capital , Co. Ltd. (Kyoto iCAP):
As a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyoto University, KYOTO-iCAP provides investment and other business support to companies that utilize research results generated by Kyoto University and other national universities. KYOTO-iCAP currently operates the Innovation Kyoto 2016 Investment Limited Partnership ("KYOTO -iCAP Fund Ⅰ") (established in January 2016) with a total value of 16 billion yen and the KYOTO-iCAP Fund Ⅱ (established in January 2021) with a total value of 18.1 billion yen. The KYOTO-iCAP Fund Ⅰ has a maturity of up to 20 years, and the KYOTO-iCAP Fund Ⅱ has a maturity of up to 17 years, enabling long-term support for the practical application of research results from Kyoto University, which is strong in basic research. In addition, a portion of the KYOTO-iCAP Fund Ⅱ will be invested in ventures originating from national universities in Japan other than Kyoto University.

Contact information for inquiries
Kyoto University Innovation Capital, Co. Ltd.
36-1 Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8317, Japan
Osami Kono, Senior Officer, Business Development Department
TEL: 075-753-7588 FAX: 075-753-7592
E-mail: info@kyoto-unicap.co.jp