Gameto

Overview: Why Gameto was founded

Gameto is a new biotechnology company to improve and radically transform female reproductive health and longevity. Started in a research lab at Harvard Medical School and co-founded in 2020 by Dr. Dina Radenkovic, with her passion to bring new science and technology to the people with the aim of improving their healthspan. Gameto’s goal is to understand women’s health in a new and groundbreaking way and to focus on the unique and profound impact of women’s reproduction capability as a fundamental pillar to women’s health and longevity. 

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To put this into context, increased longevity is one of the greatest achievements in human history. However, the biological fertile life of a woman has not changed, staying at approximately 40 years of age, despite life expectancy increasing by 2 years every decade. Women lose their reproductive capacity early in their lifespan and there is no other species where this is the case. Understanding why this happens and how it can be mitigated, is the key to many new discoveries about women’s health. The early death of women’s ovaries is associated with menopause and the loss of hormones which  has been shown to increase risk of heart disease, cognitive decline, depression and other diseases. Data shows that 12% of women quit their jobs annually due to the negative effects of menopause, not to mention the negative quality of life many women experience with menopause. 

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Japanese researcher and professor Shinya Yamanaka discovered that mature cells can be converted to stem cells and received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2012. His research proved any cell can be turned into a stem cell using gene activation and repression mechanisms. Yamanaka’s work on iPSC (Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells) built the foundation for today’s stem cell therapy for many diseases. 

Based on this iPSC technology, using advanced cellular reprogramming, Gameto has developed a breakthrough approach called Novogenesis and has a proprietary process to in vitro generate human ovarian cells from skin. With this novel technology and by creating a platform to use this approach across several areas of women’s health, Gameto is positioned to be the preeminent company transforming every aspect of women’s health. The first applications of their unique approach are Fertilo, Ameno and Deovo targeting the global fertility, menopause and longevity market. The company plans to have their first product in the market in 2023 with revenue potential.

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Key Highlights

Cellular reprogramming technology refined and targeted to generate healthy human ovarian cells. Gameto's breakthrough technology is based on iPSC technology and the Yamanaka discovery that 4 specific genes with encoded transcription factors can convert somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). These iPSC propagate and can replace mature or damaged cells. Gameto took this discovery further by running a simulation model considering 42 million unique combinations of "Transformation Factors" and was able to identify 6 that are fundamental to creating a healthy ovary and egg. Gameto has filed IP to protect this discovery and their proprietary process.

Developing three huge market applications to improve women’s health and lifespan and to determine how therapeutics affect a woman’s body. Fertilo, Ameno and Deovo target improved fertility, menopause’s negative effects and female longevity, respectively. These three synergistic programs have benefits with research and discoveries that vastly increase and improve the overall base of knowledge about women’s health and the effects of aging in both women and men. The focus of this research is novel in that it focuses on solving ovarian failure which has massive health benefits. This is a unique and differentiated proposition in women’s health. 

World class scientific and founding team. Dr. Radendovic, a medical doctor and healthcare entrepreneur, co-founded an elite longevity research clinic in London and was invited to speak at the World Economic Forum on her novel and important perspective. The Co-Founder and Chairman of Gameto, Martin Varsavsky, is a serial entrepreneur and investor, and founded Prelude, the biggest U.S. fertility clinic company. Co-Founder Pranam Chaterjee, PhD, is a renowned expert in cellular reprogramming and computational biology. He holds patents that represent some of the broadest, safest, and most effective genome editing tools to date. The Chief Scientific Officer of Gameto is Jennifer Garrison PhD who is also the Founder and Director of the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity & Equality and Assistant Professor at the Buck Institute.

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First product with fast regulatory approval and easy route to market. As Gameto’s first product, Fertilo is classified as a Class II Medical Device with a 6-month fast FDA approval. The company has a strong go-to-market strategy as one of the co-founders runs one of the largest fertility clinic chains with a strong first hand knowledge of the fertility success rate and cost and a strong interest in improving fertility outcomes.

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Large and expanding market opportunities. The global fertility market was valued at $33.1 billion in 2020. This is predicted to reach $47.9 billion by 2030 (Precedence Research 2021). The global menopause market size was valued at $14.7 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $22.7 billion by 2028 (Grand View Research 2021). The longevity market is already worth $110 billion and analysts at Bank of America have estimated the industry that extends life is set to be worth at least $600 billion by 2025 (Newman 2019).

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Original seed investors and Series A investors represent successful entrepreneurs with knowledge of healthcare and other disruptive technologies:  including Anne Wojcicki, the Founder of 23&Me; Brian Armstrong, the Founder of Coinbase; Jack Abraham, Founder of HIMs & Hers and Atomic VC; tech investor Shervin Pishevar (investor in Uber, Tesla AirBnB, Slack, SpaceX); Dan Rose, Chairman of Coatue (formerly Facebook); an acclaimed ecosystem SALT Fund as well as FJ labs.

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This Series A round is being led by Future Ventures focusing on early-stage disruptive technologies to help trailblazing entrepreneurs develop and commercialize unique ideas that have the potential to reinvent industries. Other key participants in the round include Bold Capital Partners, TA Ventures and ARCH Venture Partners. The Plum Alley investment team completed diligence conversations with Future Ventures.

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Investment Opportunity

Gameto closed a $23 M Series A round at a pre-money valuation of $50M led by Future Ventures. Plum Alley has an allocation of $1M and is offering $500k for syndicate investors. Of note, the Series A round was oversubscribed and Plum Alley was able to secure investor rights and is positioned to have a higher allocation in the next round.

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Please submit your commitments here and note that we are likely to be oversubscribed and will need to pare back individual amounts.

Gameto’s $20M series A will be used to finance and continue to support the R&D, laboratory building and team expansion, IP strategy and mapping out the first product launch. The Company’s confidential and private financing documentation and other diligence files are available for review in Dropbox. Please request access to Dropbox materials on the left side panel. Please note all documents are PRIVATE, CONFIDENTIAL and NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION.

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Product and Technology

Background and Science Overview

Professor Shinya Yamanaka showed in 2006 that the introduction of four transcription factors, known as Yamanaka factors, could convert any somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). This cellular reprogramming technology rewarded Yamanaka the Nobel Prize and has then been used in many therapeutics development, especially in the anti-aging field.

Having democratized access for fertility clinics and egg freezing through founding Prelude Fertility, Martin Varsavsky tried to improve the IVF process and the quality of eggs. Dr. Dina had been doing aging research related to menopause symptoms at the Buck Institute. Because the root causes are the same process - ovarian aging, Dr. Dina and Martin together with Pranam Chaterjee, PhD co-founded Gameto in 2020, using cellular reprogramming to tackle this root cause and solve both problems. To prove the science works, Gameto started the R&D through a Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA) at Harvard Medical School’s Church lab. In the summer of 2021, these scientists achieved their first breakthrough by successfully engineering the human ovarian cells in a dish.  

How does Gameto’s science work?

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Initially started with skin cells, using Yamanaka factors, Gameto was able to make stem cells (Human induced pluripotent stem cell: hiPSC) which has the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body.  Next, the research team used advanced computer simulations to identify the transcription factors (TF) that drive human ovarian development. They screened the TF library and ran 50 million combinations through computer models and other tests looking for candidates that were fundamental to creating ovaries and eggs. They successfully identified and formulated key factors and have a proprietary recipe of 6 TFs that drive the stem cells to generate non-carcinogenic and non-immunogenic human ovarian cells. 

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Gameto has filed an IP for this proprietary recipe and published this study on their findings. The company is ready to bring the first product to market which is focused on increasing the number of successful IVF outcomes at a lower cost and with less adverse effects for the woman.  With their scientific  breakthrough, Gameto is establishing a platform called Novogenesis as a modern method for ovarian modeling and therapeutic discovery, with three applications under development.

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Gameto first areas of focus

Fertilo – During the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process, on average 10 eggs are extracted from a woman, about 8/10 are immature and cannot be used. The current IVF process hyper stimulates the ovary with several injections of hormones. It’s an artificial way with many side effects and not effective to mature an egg. 

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The Gameto discovery moves the egg maturation process to in vitro. One ovarian cell type Gameto can generate is the granulosa cell which has two roles: supporting oocytes to mature and releasing hormones. Gameto identified that after the extraction of the eggs during the IVF process, co-culture the eggs with the granulosa cells in the same dish for 48 hours, and then the eggs have an increased yield in maturation. The egg is then either cryopreserved or fertilized with a sperm vastly increasing the positive outcomes with IVF.

Gameto anticipates that with their breakthrough technology, a woman will need to go through only one hormone injection to get eggs extracted, followed by a full in vitro application done in a dish using the Gameto media (with Gameto cells made with Gameto recipe). This media is classified as a Class II medical device, which has a moderate risk to patients and a short 6-month FDA approval. Gameto has recently received an IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval to make embryos with the eggs matured by Gameto’s media, to demonstrate that they are normal and healthy, and will further show these embryos can lead to a successful pregnancy.  

Ameno – Many women are suffering from menopause symptoms. After a woman reaches menopause, they lose 80% of hormones within one year. Their brain gets the signal from the ovary, and a cascade of health problems come along. Women may develop dementia, heart disease, osteoporosis, not to mention other symptoms like hot flashes, mental health. These serious medical conditions have never been targeted in a way to find solutions based on the root cause of ovarian death. Gameto’s novel approach is profoundly powerful for new and more effective solutions. 

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Gameto is developing a patch with the ovarian cell line which is FSH(follicle-stimulating hormone) responsive and would restore the conversation between the brain and the ovary, to provide personalized and effective hormone delivery. The patch would contain cells which will generate all the hormones women make, including estrogen, progesterone and androgen. It would be applied subcutaneously and provide sustained hormone delivery effectively  informing the brain to halt the menopause symptoms. Gameto plans to first apply this product for the medical condition known as Primary Ovarian Insufficiency, which is early menopause that occurs in women in their twenties and thirties due to cancer treatemnts or other medical conditions. From there Gameto will expand the patch to the broad menopause market.

Deovo – How can we know if aging drugs work? A human trial for an aging drug may take many years. Women are underrepresented in clinical trials, and women of childbearing age are just not recruited due to the potential risk to their fertility.  This lack of focus on women’s bodies limits what can be discovered about the connection between women’s reproductive lives and overall vulnerability to disease. 

Gameto has turned this thinking on its head by using the ovaries as a way to test if healthy lifespan in women can be increased and if the health of an ovary is extended than a women’s overall health is extended and disease is mitigated. The ovary is an organ that ages five times faster than the rest of the human body, which has made it a new way to test drug effectiveness. Gameto’s ovarian cell lines can be used to run drug screening and see how every new drug affects female ovaries. If the life of the ovary is extended from 40 years to 50 or 60+ years that is a good indicator that the drug will be beneficial to a woman. Gameto can use their technology and platform to screen a drug before clinical trials to test whether it has any ovarian toxicity. Over time, Gameto could use its findings on women’s bodies to discover new and repurpose existing drugs in the entire aging and longevity market.

 Gameto’s Addressable Market and Go To Market Strategy

Gameto’s products are targeting huge and fast-growing markets globally. Their multi-dimensional business model is in three markets that overlap: the fertility, and the menopause and the longevity market. According to Precedence Research, the global fertility market was valued at $33.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $47.9 billion in 2030. It is rapidly growing at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2021 to 2027. The global menopause market size was valued at $14.7 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $22.7 billion by 2028. The longevity market currently consists of businesses and services that are focused on increasing the quality and duration of the human lifespan. It is currently estimated at $110 billion and analysts at Bank of America have estimated the industry is set to be worth at least $600 billion by 2025.

Gameto plans to launch the first product Fertilo to the market in 2023, in the form of an IVF media with the Gameto cell line added. Currently, they are capable of producing the cell lines in a practical and scalable low cost way. Having conducted customer interviews, Gameto expects to charge $4,000 per IVF cycle, with an attractive $20 cost to provide 10,000 cells. The co-founder and chairman Martin runs the biggest fertility clinics in the US, and that’s where Gameto will be running the IRB study. Since Gameto’s media is classified as a class II medical device, the FDA trial will be only 6-month long which provides them a fast route to market. In the IVF supplier subsector, there is only one IVF media provider in the US and one in Europe. Gameto has been talking to both of them to establish distribution partnerships which would provide them direct routes to market. The other two products Ameno and Deovo will be launched in the near future. 

Founders and Leadership Team

Gameto is managed by an outstanding team, including world class scientists, experienced operators, successful entrepreneurs and investors. 

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Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Dina Radenkovic is a medical doctor, entrepreneur and specialist advising venture firms and other entities on health innovation. She is a General Partner at SALT (SALT.Org) and the Programmable Biology SALT Fund and a senior scientist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Previously, she co-founded and was the Chief Science Officer of Hooke, an elite longevity research clinic in London launched in partnership with Dr. Eric Verdin from the Buck Institute. Dina is a guest speaker and specialist in the field of aging, women’s health and innovation and was invited to speak at numerous conferences, universities and at the World Economic Forum.

Co-Founder and Chairman Martin Varsavsky is a successful serial entrepreneur and investor who has founded 8 companies in the United States and Europe in the last 30 years. He is a co-founder of Overture Life, a company focused on automating the embryology lab, and the founder & previous Chairman of Prelude Fertility, the largest network of reproductive health & fertility clinics in the US with access to the latest IVF technologies to people seeking to have children. Martin is the recipient of various honors and rewards and is a leading authority in technology and reproductive health. He lectures on occasion at Columbia Business School in New York on entrepreneurship. 

‍Co-Founder Pranam Chaterjee, PhD is an expert in cellular reprogramming and computational biology specialist trained at MIT and Harvard. He is the upcoming Assistant Professor at Duke University Medical School, academic member of the Global Consortium for Female Reproductive Longevity & Equality and a current Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School, where he is developing state-of-the-art algorithms and high-throughput experimental screens to interrogate germ cell development for Gameto. Pranam holds a PhD from the MIT Media Lab, where he developed robust CRISPR technologies, utilizing both experimental and computational methodologies.

Chief Scientific Officer Jennifer Garrison, PhD is the Founder and Director of the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity & Equality (GCRLE) and an Assistant Professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. She also holds appointments in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at UCSF and the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. She is a passionate advocate for women’s health and is pioneering a movement to advance science focused on female reproductive aging with the ultimate goal of healthy ovarian aging.

Impact

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Massive global impact to the entire field of women’s health and healthy lifespan

Gameto is the company with the most direct and powerful way to understand women’s health and the connection with ovary and reproductive health. The discoveries and applications that Gameto is pursuing are profound to what we know and can improve in women’s health and a prolonged healthy lifespan. Their immediate priority is building up the science and successfully bringing the first product to the market, but Gameto is leading the change in understanding and narrative on a global basis around female aging. 

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Gameto has recently been accepted into the New York Bio-Accelerator program, and will receive mentorship and lab space at a brand new laboratory at Manhattan. With the leadership and vision of Co-Founder and CEO, Dr. Dina Radenkovic, their focus and discoveries are transforming the entire field of women’s health. With the novel and proprietary cell reprogramming technology, Gemeto is positioned to become the leader in ovarian therapeutics and to finally bring needed recognition and research with solutions that will improve the lives of women and humankind.

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