Brainy Business
By Anna Bruno JGSM '10
Issue date: 2/12/10 Section: Johnson News
Business is about making money, but there are those special instances when doing good and making money are one and the same. BR Ventures (BRV) has gotten behind one those businesses. Recently, BRV added a ninth company to its portfolio-Adenios. The company addresses a key issue in treating multiple illnesses-controlling the permeability of the blood brain barrier. A Cornell technology, Adenios' innovation came from the lab of Dr. Margaret Bynoe, assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the company is led by Johnson School graduate, Charles Hamilton. Hamilton has a history of commercializing Cornell technology-he did so at his previous venture, Novomer.
The decision to back Adenios represents the 2009-2010 BRV team's first investment, and with the potential to aid in the treatment of various diseases from Alzheimer's to HIV, it's an exciting one. BRV evaluates hundreds of business plans every year. The managers put the best plans through a rigorous due diligence process, where first year BRV associates examine every aspect of the businesses-from intellectual property, to management, to market potential. Adenios stood out in all three areas, and the BRV team made a unanimous decision to move forward with an investment.
BRV does not disclose the exact figures of how much it has invested in each of its portfolio companies, but it has a model of making seed stage investments of up to $200K. And the current managers have no intention of letting up now that they've found Adenios. They'll have the opportunity to continue to make investments throughout the semester until they pass the torch to next year's team.
The only fund of its kind, where the students make all investment decisions themselves, BRV is a vital institution of the Johnson School, and those who are involved with the Fund will tell you that it's a highlight of their MBA experience. In addition to working to source new deals and make investment decisions, the managers are actively seeking to grow the fund, so future manages can continue to invest and BRV can support its portfolio companies in future investment rounds.
The decision to back Adenios represents the 2009-2010 BRV team's first investment, and with the potential to aid in the treatment of various diseases from Alzheimer's to HIV, it's an exciting one. BRV evaluates hundreds of business plans every year. The managers put the best plans through a rigorous due diligence process, where first year BRV associates examine every aspect of the businesses-from intellectual property, to management, to market potential. Adenios stood out in all three areas, and the BRV team made a unanimous decision to move forward with an investment.
BRV does not disclose the exact figures of how much it has invested in each of its portfolio companies, but it has a model of making seed stage investments of up to $200K. And the current managers have no intention of letting up now that they've found Adenios. They'll have the opportunity to continue to make investments throughout the semester until they pass the torch to next year's team.
The only fund of its kind, where the students make all investment decisions themselves, BRV is a vital institution of the Johnson School, and those who are involved with the Fund will tell you that it's a highlight of their MBA experience. In addition to working to source new deals and make investment decisions, the managers are actively seeking to grow the fund, so future manages can continue to invest and BRV can support its portfolio companies in future investment rounds.
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