CureDuchenne Ventures

The fund serves as the investing wing of CureDuchenne, a national charity focused on curing Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It was formed in 2014 after a successful exit from an earlier equity investment.

What CureDuchenne Ventures offers

• Impact fund — puts donor funds into companies developing Duchenne treatments.
• Gene and exon-skipping therapies — investments include dystrophin-restoring approaches and other disease mechanisms.
• Platform technologies — it also looks for new platforms that overcome limits in existing therapies.
• Early funding — its early backing is meant to attract later investment from venture capital, biotech and pharmaceutical firms.
• Reinvestment — 90% of earnings go back into Duchenne research.

Who it works with

Biotech companies and research projects working on Duchenne, such as Exonics Therapeutics, Capricor Therapeutics, Dyne Therapeutics and Avidity.

Key facts

• Formed: 2014
• Parent: CureDuchenne, a national nonprofit
• Earnings reinvested: 90%