Maor Shlomo Launches Fund to Invest in Cancer Research Startups
Maor Shlomo, the founder of BASE44, has announced the establishment of a private fund to invest in startups developing cancer treatments. The decision follows the personal loss of his mother to the disease.
Maor Shlomo, who sold BASE44 to Wix a year ago for a sum approaching $100 million, has announced the establishment of a private fund to invest in startups researching cancer and developing treatments for the disease. In a post shared on the X network, 32-year-old Shlomo wrote that he lost his mother to cancer four months ago, which prompted his decision to invest part of the exit proceeds into the new fund.
"I set up a small fund from the money I received from BASE44," Shlomo wrote. "In the last four months, I have invested in seven amazing companies, and I plan to invest in more as my liquidity allows. I invite everyone who, like me, has achieved financial success to join me and find ways that will help us finally deal with this disease, and perhaps even bring it to an end. I truly believe that cancer is humanity's greatest enemy."
"About 40% of people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, and of those, about a third will not survive. These figures, as of now, are not improving dramatically. For many, this may just be statistics. But for those who have experienced it themselves, or gone through it alongside a loved one, it is one of the most difficult experiences imaginable. I went through it with my mother, who passed away four months ago. This field needs a significant push."
According to Shlomo, despite technological development and the AI revolution, the development of cancer treatments has not progressed enough. The main bottlenecks in the future, in his opinion, will focus on real-world testing and drug manufacturing, while the computerized research phase will accelerate dramatically.
"AI will create a huge abundance of ideas, in fact, an 'inflation' of ideas. It will allow for the design of molecules at a pace that was not possible before. The challenge now is to find a better way to produce and test the thousands of ideas that AI models generate as drug candidates," writes Shlomo. He is currently seeking companies whose business touches on "cloud services for drug development."
Shlomo also sent a reassuring message to Wix investors, noting: "Of course, I still dedicate most of my time to BASE44, and this is actually an advantage for the companies I have invested in, because we can assist them through tools, software, and AI agents."
Shlomo sold BASE44 to Wix for an initial sum of $80 million, which has since inflated due to the company's strong performance. At the time of the sale, he was 31 and the company's sole employee, having founded it upon his release from prolonged reserve duty that began on October 7.
