NanoView Biosciences has closed on a $10 million Series B financing, with proceeds intended for completing the development of the company’s ExoView exosome detection and characterization platform, as well as preparing the technology for commercial launch.
“With these funds we are well positioned to complete the development of the first applications of our ExoView system,” NanoView CEO Jerry Williamson said in a statement. “We plan to launch this platform for research markets in early 2019 and then expand into developing tools for clinical markets in the future.”
ExoView is designed to facilitate characterization of extracellular vesicles (EVs) through their specific binding, detection, and characterization on an affinity microarray platform, functionalized with antibodies, aptomers or peptides.
Detection of EVs bound to the microarray is carried out using Single Particle Interferometric Reflectance Imaging Sensing (SP-IRIS). Using brightfield microscopy, the instrument detects the enhanced scattering of a bound EVs when attached to a layered substrate. Upon binding to the surface, ExoView measures the concentration and size of individual antigen positive EVs, with a resolution down to 40nm.
The array design is designed to allow for multiple antigens to be probed simultaneously, while the technology is capable of measuring directly from complex biological samples such as blood serum and cell culture medium, without the need to purify, according to NanoView.
The sample does not require labeling, which according to the company removes the possibility of antibody induced sample aggregation, and also eliminates the need for wash steps required of fluorescent based detection modalities.
New investor Northpond Ventures led the financing, which saw participation from existing investors that included Sands Capital Ventures and PBM Capital Group.
“We see tremendous opportunity in NanoView’s platform technology and are impressed with the progress the company is making as it prepares to launch the ExoView system into the life science research market,” added Michael Rubin, M.D., founder and CEO of Northpond Ventures.
On September 27, NanoView said it had been awarded a $750,000 National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grant, also focused on completing development of ExoView. Using the Phase II grant, NanoView said it planned to further enhance the platform by scaling manufacturing of the assay, improve detection of small particles including exomeres, and extending the shelf-life of the products.
