bit.bio expands Board of Directors with the Appointment of Entrepreneurs and a Nobel Laureate

Rhea-AI Summary

bit.bio has appointed three new directors to its board, aiming to leverage their expertise to enhance its synthetic biology cell programming technology. Dr. Hermann Hauser becomes chair of the board, bringing extensive experience from founding Arm Ltd and Solexa. Sir Gregory Winter, a Nobel prize-winning scientist, joins to bolster therapeutic applications using human cells. Alan S. Roemer, an accomplished biotechnology entrepreneur, will support capital markets and operational growth strategies. Collectively, these leaders are expected to drive bit.bio's mission in transforming healthcare.

Positive

• Expertise of new board members in synthetic biology and biotechnology could enhance bit.bio's strategic direction.
• Hermann Hauser's leadership may attract investment and foster innovation in synthetic biology.
• Potential for new products and solutions based on human cells to transform healthcare and drug discovery.

Negative

• Concerns about continuity as new directors may present experience gaps in the current leadership.
• Challenges in executing the ambitious growth and innovation objectives laid out by new board members.

• Dr Hermann Hauser, serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners and founder of semiconductor company, Arm Ltd, and gene-sequencing company, Solexa / Illumina, joins as chair of the board.
• Sir Greg Winter, Nobel-winning scientist, and known for his work on monoclonal antibodies, is the founder of multiple successful biotech companies.
• Alan S. Roemer, biotechnology entrepreneur who launched Pharmasset and Roivant Sciences, has raised over $1.75 billion in private and public capital and consummated five IPOs.

CAMBRIDGE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today bit.bio welcomes three new members to its board of directors, who bring their respective experience of turning world class science into new industries and company growth. The new directors will provide important guidance as bit.bio scales their proprietary synthetic biology cell programming technology platform, creating products and solutions based on human cells that can transform healthcare from basic research and drug discovery to next generation cell based therapies.

bit.bio's three new board members. (Photo: Business Wire)

Hermann Hauser will be the chair of the board. He brings valuable experience in creating entire new industries and markets through groundbreaking technologies with his experience as co-founder of Arm Ltd. holdings, a world leading UK computer chip company. As an early investor of Solexa (now Illumina), Dr. Hauser laid the foundation for the ongoing synthetic biology revolution with technologies to read the human genome. He is also a key member of the Cambridge science and technology community, as well as a trusted innovation advisor of the UK government. Dr. Hauser is a fellow of the Royal Society, KBE and co-founder of the venture capital firm Amadeus Capital Partners.

Hermann Hauser said:

“I believe bit.bio is well positioned to become one of the defining companies in the synthetic biology field, and I am very excited to take the position of chair of the board. I see world changing potential in their technology and look forward to bringing my experience and expertise to the leadership team. I want to see bit.bio grow into an iconic Cambridge company, creating jobs and new industries, and most importantly, bringing the next generation of medicines to patients.”

Sir Gregory Winter is a Nobel prize winning scientist who invented technologies for making therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, and was directly involved in their industrial development, notably through the start up company Cambridge Antibody Technology Ltd. His inventions underpin many of the therapeutic antibodies in development and on the market, including blockbuster drugs such as Humira, Herceptin, Avastin and Keytruda. More recently, through Bicycle Therapeutics, he has been helping to develop another invention - the use of bicyclic peptides as a platform for novel therapeutics.

Sir Gregory Winter said:

“I think we are still in the foothills when it comes to the use of human cells for therapeutic applications, and I am excited to join bit.bio on their journey to the peaks. With access to potentially unlimited numbers of human cells at defined states of differentiation, we could do so much more for patients - whether researching difficult to treat, complex diseases, screening potential drugs on human cells, or developing precision cell therapies at an affordable cost. And the opti-ox technology seems to offer a realistic path to scale those peaks.”

Alan S. Roemer will bring his entrepreneurial expertise from the biotechnology sector to bit.bio. As a life sciences executive and board director, he will offer meaningful capital markets and operational business building experience to ensure that bit.bio is well-financed and well-positioned to scale. Mr. Roemer has launched three multi-billion dollar biotechnology companies, raised over $1.75 billion in private and public capital, and consummated five IPOs. He was a founding leadership team member of Pharmasset (acquired by Gilead Sciences for $11 billion ) and Roivant Sciences, a company developing innovative medicines through a novel form of industrial organisation in R&D. His experience at Roivant is particularly relevant to bit.bio’s strategy to build its cell coding technology opti-ox into multiple verticals where human cells are applied to research, drug discovery and cell therapies. In addition to serving as a member of the board, Mr. Roemer will chair the audit and compensation committees.

Alan Roemer said:

"bit.bio is at that exciting stage of growth and evolution that I have been through several times before. It fuels my entrepreneurial spirit with the ‘fun factor’ of company expansion and cultural impact. I am excited to help the leadership team ‘see around corners’ using my experience from my other high-growth companies. Most importantly, I want to provide meaningful guidance to finance and scale the business, exploit the full potential of bit.bio’s core technology and have the potential to positively impact patients' lives.”

Mark Kotter, founder and CEO of bit.bio said:

“I’m humbled to be bringing together three world leaders in science, entrepreneurship and industry making for the board of bit.bio. The expertise and experience our new board will bring to the company will give our technology the best chance to transform healthcare for every patient, everywhere.”

- ENDS -

About bit.bio
Accelerated biomedical research, new generations of cures, increased global sustainability. These are in reach when biology transitions to engineering.

At bit.bio, we work relentlessly to achieve this goal. We combine the concepts of coding and biology to provide human cells for research, drug discovery, and a new generation of medicines.

For more information visit bit.bio

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211028005473/en/

April Six on behalf of bit.bio

bitbio@aprilsix.com

+44 7875 468942

Source: bit.bio

FAQ

Who are the new board members of bit.bio?

The new board members include Dr. Hermann Hauser, Sir Gregory Winter, and Alan S. Roemer, each bringing extensive experience in biotechnology and science.

What is the role of Hermann Hauser at bit.bio?

Hermann Hauser will serve as the chair of the board, leveraging his experience to guide bit.bio's growth in synthetic biology.

How does Alan S. Roemer plan to impact bit.bio?

Alan S. Roemer aims to support bit.bio's capital markets and operational strategies, ensuring the company is well-financed and positioned for growth.

What advancements are anticipated with the new board at bit.bio?

The new board is expected to drive developments in synthetic biology, enhance product offerings, and transform healthcare applications using human cells.

What is the significance of Sir Gregory Winter joining bit.bio?

Sir Gregory Winter's expertise in developing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies is expected to contribute to the advancement of bit.bio's cell-based therapies.