Start-up’s innovative approach addresses global shift away from antimicrobials and antibacterials
Natural Products Canada (NPC) is pleased to announce its investment in NovoBind Livestock Technologies (Novobind).
NPC joins an impressive roster of corporate, strategic and private investors who see the tremendous market potential in NovoBind’s platform to create custom biologicals to reduce the use of antibacterial chemicals, and fight the global war on antimicrobial resistance.
Along with NPC, NovoBind’s oversubscribed Series A round includes Seventure Partners from France, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Mindset Venture Group, Light Heart Management Partners, Carpere Ventures and the Center for Aquaculture Technologies (a Cuna Del Mar company), as well as returning investors from NovoBind’s prior seed rounds.
“NovoBind has attracted a strong group of investors that bring a diverse set of expertise and skills to help the company reach its full potential,” says Shelley King, CEO of Natural Products Canada
NovoBind uses a proven platform to develop precision biologics to protect livestock against commercially devastating pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites. Currently NovoBind is tackling a list of pathogens that cause an aggregate annual loss of USD $22 billion to poultry, shrimp and companion animal sectors.
“We were impressed with NovoBind’s technology and potential for growth,” says King. “The company understands the market need, and has wisely positioned itself to meet the global demand for safe and effective solutions that can replace antibiotics and other antimicrobial chemicals.”
Both consumer sentiment and regulatory bodies are forcing a transformational shift away from the use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial chemicals used to control pathogens in food production. NovoBind biologics are developed for inclusion in standard feed for terrestrial and aquaculture applications, which will provide efficacious and economic alternative controls.
NovoBind’s world class innovation has been supported by NPC and a range of Canadian programs and services.
“NPC helped us with strategic advice, introductions to industry experts, and investment,” says Hamlet Abnousi, co-founder and CEO of NovoBind. “They are part of an army of programs and organizations that have been key to our success.”
In addition to NPC, NovoBind has been supported by a range of national and local organizations, including the National Research Council-Industrial Research Assistance Program, Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC, BioEnterprise, Innovate BC, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, ECO Canada, BioTalent Canada, Life Sciences BC, VANTEC, and others.
For more info:
Sue Coueslan
VP Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Natural Products Canada (NPC) is the driving force behind Canada’s Natural Product Innovation Cluster–a strategic community of SMEs, research institutes, corporations, investors, government departments, and service providers who support the development and commercialization of naturally-derived products and technologies in health and life sciences, natural resources, agriculture and agri-food, and sustainable bioproducts. As part of its role in the Cluster, NPC offers a suite of Commercialization Programs to help companies and researchers advance high-potential products and technologies; provides connection and innovation scouting services to industry and investors through its Innovation Hub; and leverages its Investment Fund to help develop and de-risk promising Canadian opportunities. NPC has over 600 opportunities in its pipeline, has completed ten investments, and has already experienced two exits. Established in 2016, NPC is funded by a range of public and private investors, including the Government of Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Commercialization and Research (CECR) program, administered by the Networks of Centres of Excellence. Visit www.naturalproductscanada.com
NovoBind Livestock Technologies develops products that meet the growing global demand for increased food production without the use of antibiotics and antimicrobial chemicals. Their next-generation biologics target and neutralize devastating pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause $22 billion (USD) in aggregate annual loss to producers in the poultry, shrimp, and companion animal sectors. NovoBind is currently expanding its technology platform to address other sectors of food production, including crop health. www.novobind.com