Lumiio and MitoCanada Launch Patient Registry for Mitochondrial Diseases

Lumiio recently announced in partnership with MitoCanada, the launch of a new patient registry for mitochondrial diseases. The registry will allow for centralized data collection from patients and their families. Providing this data to health communities and their stakeholders will allow for expedited drug discovery, faster diagnoses and ultimately deeper insights to help improve quality of life for patients.   There are over 300 known diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, with an estimated 1 in 4,000 people worldwide are affected. None of these diseases presently have a cure, so Read more…

KASTx Ventures: A 2021 Year in Review

This past year at KASTx Ventures has had many important opportunities and unique challenges for our organization, portfolio companies, and community members. Thank you to everyone who has followed along on our journey as we work to bring impactful innovations to the world. We truly feel this last year has set a strong foundation for us and our portfolio companies, and we are excited for what we have planned for the new year. To celebrate Read more…

Pure Life Carbon Completes Successful $13 Million Capital Raise

Pure Life Carbon (PLC), an advanced carbon growing medium producer and KASTx Ventures portfolio company, has recently completed a successful capital raise of $13 million, laying a strong foundation for future growth and expansion.   The funds have allowed the company to start building out their production facility in Red Deer, AB to help meet the growing demand for their products from clients globally.   KASTx Ventures is proud to support this exciting period of growth for the company, both as advisors and operationally.   To read the full press release, click Read more…

Lumiio Announces Official SOC2 Compliance (Type 1)

Lumiio, KASTx Ventures’ cornerstone digital health and data collection company, has announced their successful System and Organization Controls (SOC2) Type 1 compliance. This rigorous auditing assessment is the first in a two-step process for the company to receive full SOC2 accreditation. Receiving this first certification is a step towards demonstrating the first-class data protection and cybersecurity practices company follows.   The next step is Type 2 accreditation and will involve the auditors monitoring Lumiio’s security procedures over a course of months. Achieving Type 1 demonstrates the company is compliant with Read more…

Dr. Lawrence Korngut on the Collisions YYC podcast

“Lawrence believes not only in thinking outside the box but that there is no box to constrain our innovations at all. As a neuromuscular neurologist, he is working to drive better health outcomes. Challenges in healthcare are global – which means the impact of new advancements can be far-reaching. Learn more about KASTx and gain a clearer understanding of the digital health ecosystem and the investment process.” Listen to the podcast here.

Dr. Lawrence Korngut on the Now Innovating podcast at UCalgary

“Episode 4 of the Now Innovating podcast at UCalgary features Dr. Korngut and his research focused on accelerating new medical therapies in hopes of shortening the temporal gap between research and development. His start-up Lumiio specializes in real-world data collection services that help patient organizations, academic research groups, and pharmaceutical companies design world-class digital health programs.” The podcast is available here.

Meet Our New Director, Operations: Christian Idicula

KASTx Ventures is pleased to announce Christian Idicula has joined our team as Director, Operations. For Christian, his career path has been anything but straight, because he has always been most driven by his core values and passion for learning and growth.  “Most people tend to pursue just one, maybe two things in their career. That hasn’t really been me,” he said. “For me, the ideas of leadership and building have always been the backdrop of my choices. It has always been about looking at how the role expands my knowledge and skill Read more…

KASTx Ventures Webinar, Insights & Learnings: Early-stage Biotech Investing

Watch our webinar *Please ensure your pop-up blocker is turned off. KASTx Ventures is joined by Catalytic Life Sciences for an in-depth panel discussion on investing in and growing businesses in the biotech sector. In this webinar, you will learn from medical and financial experts from Canada and the United States as they discuss their own insights and learnings from their years of experience in this space. The current global climate has highlighted the need Read more…

Navigating Towards Success: The Secret Sauce for Small Biotech Companies

What wasn’t possible just 20 years ago, is steadily increasing in both possibility and popularity: small biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies facilitating their own commercialization process and launch. According to this article by McKinsey & Company, first-time launchers in biotech and biopharma have accounted for “more than a quarter of all new molecular entities submitted to the US FDA since 2016.” What does this mean? Small companies with a focus on differentiated sciences that don’t fit Read more…

Mark Starratt on Calgary Business Podcast

“Calgary Business Podcast is focused on meeting founders, entrepreneurs, students, psychologists, thought leaders, small business owners and pretty much anyone ready to share their stories of innovation, creativity and inspiration from Calgary, across Canada and throughout the world. In Episode 315, Mark Starratt shares his insight into the biotech space and explores the evolution of KASTx Ventures as a player in the North American startup ecosystem.” Listen to the podcast here.