JMP Group’s hedge fund and investment arm Harvest Capital Strategies has raised USD245 million for the Harvest Intrexon Enterprise Fund, an investment vehicle dedicated to funding companies that utilise the inventions, discoveries and technologies of Intrexon Corporation, a specialist in synthetic biology.

The Harvest Intrexon Enterprise Fund will invest exclusively in entities that utilise Intrexon’s technology, with a particular focus on new companies, to spur the creation of biologically-based products across a number of sectors, which may include healthcare, food, agriculture, energy, environment, chemicals and consumer products. The fund has made two investments to date: Thrive Agrobiotics, Inc, a startup entity formed to utilise Intrexon’s ActoBiotics platform to express nutritive proteins for improving the overall growth and feed efficiency in piglets, and Intrexon Energy Partners II, a joint venture formed to utilise Intrexon’s proprietary gas-to-liquids platform to produce 1,4 butanediol, a chemical intermediate used to manufacture spandex, polyurethane and plastics from low-cost natural gas feedstock.
 
“We are thrilled to be investment partners with Intrexon Corporation,” says Craig R.Johnson, vice chairman of JMP Group and chairman of Harvest Capital Strategies. “This fund leverages our firm’s highly regarded life sciences expertise, our investment banking and asset management platforms, and our key investor relationships. We value this unique opportunity to make investments with a leader in synthetic biology, with the goal of creating new products that improve quality of life in a number of areas. We look forward to the months and years ahead.”