2Flo Ventures Portfolio Companies Focused on Health Equity at BIO International Convention

2Flo Ventures recently attended the 2022 BIO International Convention with two of our portfolio companies. Hosting 42 meetings over the course of two-and-a-half days, we advanced discussions around health equity in biotechnology and received strong validation for our work.

2Flo Ventures featured the following portfolio companies at BIO:

• Temprian Therapeutics, a biotechnology company transforming the treatment of autoimmune skin diseases. The Northwestern University spinoff has developed an immunotherapy that aims to reverse the progression of vitiligo, a common autoimmune disease that causes skin to lose pigment. While vitiligo is prevalent among all ethnic groups, its prominence on darker skin tones has a significant, intersectional impact on people of color.

• AKAN Biosciences, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing regenerative stem cell-based therapeutics for injuries and inflammatory diseases, like osteoarthritis. AKAN’s proprietary manufacturing methods and noninvasive therapeutic products aim to reduce disparities in health outcomes by making stem cell-based therapy widely accessible to patients everywhere.

“Our work at BIO 2022 continued our efforts to discuss and address the unmet need for innovation in marginalized and underserved communities.” said Paul Burton, Managing Partner of Biotechnology at 2Flo Ventures. “These companies are doing impactful work, and BIO’s commitment to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in biotech makes this the perfect place to find partners to accelerate this work.”

2Flo Ventures is an early-stage healthcare investor and start-up studio that combines an expansive ecosystem with a special investment thesis and a critical social mission. 2Flo is focused on advancing innovations that impact the disenfranchised, while addressing the lack of African American participation within healthcare innovation. The investment firm believes that the glaring health disparities present in the United States are a by-product of the inadequate representation of African Americans within the C-Suite level of VC-backed healthcare start-ups. 2Flo Ventures  was formed to address these challenges, while providing attractive returns to investors. For more information, visit 2flo Ventures.