Whiz Looks To Axcelead To Help Build Lagging Japan Venture Ecosystem

10 Oct 2018

Japan was never known for its healthcare-focused venture capital funds, but Whiz Partners, Inc. is looking to fill what it sees as a void, helped by some heavy corporate hitters, and a major new collaboration with Takeda's spun out preclinical development operations in Japan.

The independent Tokyo-based asset management company Whiz Partners, Inc. gained renewed attention through its major investment in Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc., a new Japanese venture formed recently from the spin-out of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s preclinical drug development activities in Japan.

Under the agreement with Japan’s leading pharma firm, Axcelead will be owned by a new investment fund (the Drug Discovery...