Key Appointments for Accelerator Business

Founded earlier this year as a new model of business accelerator, Start Codon has appointed Daniel Rooke as Partner and Head of Operations and Sakura Holloway as Partner and Head of Diligence.

The business’s strategic initiative is to offer significant funding and support to translate disruptive and innovative research into world class start-up companies. Daniel is a senior lawyer with expertise in the healthcare and technology sectors. His focus will be on the negotiation of investments, follow-on funding rounds and exits, as well as the management of the group’s intellectual property.

With a technical background in biological sciences, including immunology and molecular biology, Sakura has held several key roles in intellectual property, commercial and VC investment. She will support the business’ deal flow by identifying potential companies for investment and performing due diligence, as well as acting as a mentor during the acceleration program.

Dr Jason Mellad, CEO at Start Codon, said: “The appointments of Daniel and Sakura form part of our ambitious plans and mission to provide a new model of life science and healthcare business accelerator, with a world-class team to create maximum value for us, our investors and our investee companies. Daniel and Sakura’s industry experience and expertise will be invaluable to the companies joining our acceleration program. I look forward to working with them in our next phase, as we identify the most exciting life science and healthcare companies from around the globe.”

The first cohort of 5 companies is now being recruited. Start Codon is looking for companies with disruptive innovations that will revolutionise modern healthcare and platform technologies underpinned by strong intellectual property, with a particular emphasis on novel therapeutics, diagnostics, medtech and digital health.