News

JIC Venture Growth Investments (VGI) decided acquiring the shares in C4U, Inc. (C4U), through its JIC Venture Growth Fund 2 (VGF2).

C4U is one of university-launched bio-venture company established in 2018 based on CRISPR-Cas3**, one of Japanese genome editing technology. Recently the bioeconomy* will expand dramatically not only in pharmaceuticals, but also in materials, food as well as the environment industry and play an important role. The bioeconomy market will expand significantly in the future, and genome editing technology is positioned as one of the elemental technologies. CRISPR-Cas3 technology has unique points in terms of low off-target mutation, high safety, and the ability to remove a relatively large amount of the target and its upstream regions in the genome.

The purpose of VGI's investment in C4U is to realize the social implementation of CRISPR-CAS3 in Japan and contribute to the realization of a healthy and long-lived society in Japan by establishing a new modality using this technology.

VGI would like to support C4U to accelerate the research and development and contribute to the revitalization of the bio-venture ecosystem in Japan.

^{* Technology to selectively cut and modify genomic regions by introducing cleavage enzymes and artificially designed RNAs into cells.}

^{** Genome editing technology developed based on the research results of Professor Tomoji Mashimo, University of Tokyo, and Professor Junji Takeda, Osaka University.}

^{* The concept of expanding a sustainable, renewable, recycling-oriented economy and society through the use of biotechnology and renewable biological resources, etc.}

^{The information contained in this notice is current at the time of publication and subject to change without notice.}