Kuelbs Family Office Makes Moves in Biotech by Investing in Elevian
Posted on 11/07/2021
Texas-based investor John A. Kuelbs is an investor in a number of ventures. John A. Kuelbs runs his family office called the Kuelbs Family Office. The Kuelbs Family Office invests in both minority or majority positions in privately held companies. The Kuelbs Family Office made a Series A round investment in Elevian, an emerging biotech company developing medicines that restore youthful regenerative capacity, with the potential to treat and prevent multiple age-related diseases. Elevian’s scientific founders, working at the Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, discovered that treatment with the circulating factor GDF11 can regenerate the heart, brain, muscle and other tissues. Elevian has acquired exclusive, worldwide rights to Harvard’s patent portfolio concerning GDF11. The company is developing new medicines that target the GDF11 pathway. Elevian’s lead drug candidate (recombinant human GDF11) has demonstrated efficacy in preclinical models of stroke, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other age-related diseases.
John A. Kuelbs has invested in a number of companies and movies. He invested in FUNimation Entertainment Ltd. (distributor of Dragonball Z franchise), Chrome Specialties (distributor of aftermarket products of Harley-Davidson’s chrome specialties), Whitefish Montana ski resort, and Game Samba, an online free-to-play game site.
In 2011, investors including Kuelbs conducted a management buy-out of FUNimation Entertainment for US$ 24 million. In July 2017, Sony Pictures Television acquired a 95% stake in FUNimation Entertainment for US$ 143 million.
