MIAMI, June 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Rapha Capital Management, LLC (https://raphacap.com), an investment management firm located in Miami, Florida, through Rapha Capital Investment XI, LLC (“RCI XI”) (an entity managed by Rapha Capital), participated in Poseida Therapeutics Inc.’s Series D financing, led by funds advised by Fidelity Management Research Company, LLC. RCI XI invested $2 million in this $110 million financing round, adding to its previous investments, through Rapha Capital Investment III, LLC (an entity managed by Rapha Capital), of $1 million in Poseida’s Series A-1 financing in 2017 and $2 million in Poseida’s Series C financing in 2019 via Rapha Capital Investment VI, LLC.
Rapha Capital is an investment management firm focused on making strategic investments in early stage, non-public biotechnology companies, through special purpose joint venture entities which it manages. Rapha Capital’s mission is to use its unique abilities to identify at the earliest stage, those companies that it believes will go on to profoundly improve peoples’ lives while building great value, from a sea of seemingly indistinguishable, less compelling, opportunities. Rapha Capital was founded by its President, Kevin Slawin, M.D., a successful and experienced oncologic and robotic surgeon, biotech consultant, investor, and founder, focusing on disruptive technologies in oncology, T cells and immunotherapies, and other breakthrough healthcare technologies. He is the founder of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ, leading Bellicum to a successful $161 million IPO in December, 2014. He also plays a guiding role in several of the investments managed by Rapha Capital in certain companies, serving as a board member at both 3DBio Therapeutics, Inc. (https://3dbiocorp.com/) and FIZE Medical (https://fizemedical.com) as well as a board member and interim CEO at AsclepiX Therapeutics (https://asclepix.com). Most recently, he started COVID Rapid Ab Test, LLC (https://covidrapidabtest.com) which is building one of the only databases of COVID rapid antibody test results that have been doubly and even triply confirmed on multiple high quality assay platforms to provide the most accurate results available.
“We recognized the transformative potential of immunotherapy early on, founding Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, one of the first cellular immunotherapy companies in 2004, and have been a supporter of Poseida Therapeutics since 2017,” commented Kevin Slawin, MD. “We are excited to see one of our earliest investments now maturing into a leader in cell and gene therapy,” he added.
About Rapha Capital Management, LLC
Rapha Capital Management, LLC is an investment management firm located in Miami, Florida, focusing on strategic investments in early stage, non-public biotechnology companies. Rapha Capital was founded by its President, Kevin Slawin, MD, a successful and experienced oncologic and robotic surgeon, biotech consultant, investor, and founder focusing on technologies in oncology, T cells and immunotherapy, as well as other breakthrough healthcare technologies. He is the founder of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He is co-Inventor of the FDA,-approved “prostate health index (phi)” test licensed and marketed by Beckman Coulter and utilized around the world. He has published extensively in top medical and scientific journals including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). He has also been routinely listed in America’s Top Doctors for Cancer (Castle Connolly Medical) and The Best Doctors in America (Woodward/White). In 2003, he was awarded the F. Brantley Scott, Jr., Award for Innovation and Creativity in Urology.
