ARBOR RAPHA CAPITAL BIOHOLDINGS CORP. I
The Arbor Rapha Capital mission is to use our abilities to identify those companies that we believe will go on to improve peoples’ lives while building great value.
ABOUT
NASDAQ: ARCK
We intend to capitalize on our management team’s experience and expertise to identify unique acquisition opportunities in the biopharmaceutical sector, with a focus on disruptive technologies with the potential to transform healthcare and dramatically improve the lives of patients.
We believe our ability to complete our business combination will be enhanced by our sponsor’s affiliation with Rapha Capital Management, LLC (“RCM”) and RNA Advisors, LLC (“RNA”).
RCM is an investment management firm located in Miami, Florida focused on identifying and managing strategic investments in early stage, non-public biotechnology companies, with a strategy of identifying and growing revolutionary and disruptive ideas in medicine, healthcare, and biotechnology before others can see their value. RCM executes its investment strategy by making equity and convertible debt investments in privately held companies that RCM believes have developed a transformative product, technology, or process that will drive long-term value creation for shareholders. RCM’s portfolio companies currently focus on a wide range of targets, including immunotherapies, medical devices, ocular diseases, genome editing, cell and gene therapy and bioprinting.
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According to RCM’s Founder and Managing Partner, Kevin Slawin, M.D., successfully identifying future successful biotech investment targets at, or just prior to, the Series A stage requires a wide range of knowledge, experience, and a little bit of luck. He believes there is no “formula” that can be applied by investment “technicians” to reliably identify future successful companies. Dr. Slawin has a unique mix of experience as a robotic oncologic surgeon, academician, basic and clinical researcher, biotech founder and investor, as well as public biotech operator. His expertise is focused in disruptive technologies in oncology, T cells and immunotherapy, as well as other breakthrough healthcare technologies. Dr. Slawin is also the founder of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which he successfully took public in an approximately $161 million initial public offering (“IPO”) in December 2014. He also plays a guiding role in several of the investments managed by RCM in certain companies, for instance, serving as a board member at 3DBio Therapeutics, Inc., FIZE Medical, Inc., K-2 Biolabs Acclerator, LLC and Demeetra AgBio, Inc. He served as a board member and interim CEO of portfolio company AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc., engineering their $35 million Series A financing led by Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund in 2020. He is the founder and CEO of PONCE Therapeutics, Inc., a company leveraging the growing scientific knowledge surrounding the aging process to develop anti-aging technologies, reuniting the team that founded Bellicum Pharmaceuticals to focus on the anti-aging space, which he believes will soon rival oncology in both interest and value. He is the founder and managing partner of Miami Medicos, LLC, a growing group of physicians, founders, executives and investors working to expand the entrepreneurial healthcare ecosystem in Miami and South Florida.
He is co-Inventor of the FDA-approved “prostate health index (PHI)” test licensed and marketed by Beckman Coulter and utilized around the world. He has published in medical and scientific journals including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). In addition to his publications, Dr. Slawin has also been listed in America’s Top Doctors for Cancer (Castle Connolly Medical). RCM manages Rapha Capital Investment I through XIII, which are thirteen legacy special purpose investment vehicles (“SPIVs”) that currently manage early-stage biotech investments since it was formed in2017. RCM also manages Rapha Capital BioVentures Fund I, LP (the “RCBV Fund”) that is also solely focused on investment in early-stage life science companies, and that builds on the experience, success and investor base from Rapha Capital I – XIII.
RNA Advisors is a financial, strategic and transaction advisory services firm which focuses almost exclusively on life sciences and healthcare technology. RNA’s team has completed multiple transactions in these sectors by leveraging their industry expertise and capital markets experience to provide acquirers, targets, lenders and investors with compelling, tailored, data driven analyses to support financial, strategic and transactional objectives. RCM, supported by insight and analysis from RNA, will select an optimal investment target for acquisition.
Investment Philosophy & Strategy
Dr. Slawin, the founder of Rapha Capital Management and the Chief Strategic Officer of ARCK, is focused on identifying and growing revolutionary and disruptive ideas in medicine, healthcare, and biotechnology, before others can see their value. Rapha Capital executes its investment strategy by making equity and convertible debt investments in privately held or public companies that RCM believes have developed a transformative product, technology, or process that will drive long-term value creation for shareholders. Dr. Slawin, along with RNA and the investment team, will extend this strategy to find a merger target that yields outstanding long term value to investors in the ARCK SPAC.
Key Investment Highlights
- Experienced Management Team
- Successful Track Record in Early-Stage Biotech Investing
- Unique Partnership with Rapha Capital Management
- RNA Provides Deep Industry Knowledge and Fin Analysis
- Focus on Wide Range of Targets in the Biopharma Sector
- Significant Operational Value-Add Capabilities
Partnership Criteria
While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any industry or sector, we intend to capitalize on our management team’s experience and expertise to identify attractive acquisition opportunities in the biopharmaceutical sector, with a focus on disruptive technologies with the potential to transform healthcare and dramatically improve the lives of patients. We anticipate evaluating high quality biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies domiciled in the United States and other developed countries as potential targets.
TEAM
Experienced Investment Team
Ivan Kaufman
Chief Executive Officer & Chairman the Board
Ivan Kaufman serves as our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our board of directors.
Mr. Kaufman has extensive experience operating a diverse array of companies
Ivan Kaufman serves as our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our board of directors. Mr. Kaufman has extensive experience operating a diverse array of companies that spans four decades and numerous cycles. He is the Founder, Chairman, President and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (“ART”), a non-affiliate of our Company that is a leading multifamily and commercial real estate lender and real estate investment trust, which he took public in 2004. In addition, Mr. Kaufman is the Founder and CEO of Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC (“ACM”), an affiliate of our Company that is a multifamily finance company that Mr. Kaufman established in 1995. In 2016, ART formally acquired the agency lending platform of ACM. Mr. Kaufman was also the founder of Arbor National Holdings, Inc. (“ANH”), ACM’s predecessor, and of its lending subsidiary, Arbor Mortgage, Inc., which he created in 1983. ANH became publicly traded in 1992 and was sold to Bank of America in 1995. Mr. Kaufman earned a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Boston University.
Kevin Slawin, MD
Chief Strategy Officer & Member of the Board
Kevin Slawin serves as our Chief Strategy Officer and is a member of our board of directors. Dr. Kevin Slawin, M.D. is the Founder and Managing Partner at RCM.
Kevin Slawin serves as our Chief Strategy Officer and is a member of our board of directors. Dr. Kevin Slawin, M.D. is the Founder and Managing Partner at RCM. He is an experienced oncologic and robotic surgeon, biotech consultant, investor and founder of technology businesses focused on oncology, T cells and immunotherapy, among other breakthrough healthcare technologies. Dr. Slawin founded Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which he took public in 2014. He also plays a guiding role in several investments managed by RCM. He serves on the board of directors of 3DBio Therapeutics, Inc., FIZE Medical, Inc., K2 Biolabs, LLC, Miami Medicos, LLC and Demeetra AgBio, Inc. In 2020, Dr. Slawin served as a board member and interim CEO of AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc., where he helped steer their Series A financing round. Dr. Slawin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Columbia University, and an M.D. from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Paul Elenio
Chief Financial Officer
Paul Elenio serves as our Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Elenio also currently serves as the Chief
Financial Officer of ART, a position he has held since 2005.
Paul Elenio serves as our Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Elenio also currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of ART, a position he has held since 2005. Mr. Elenio joined ANH, the predecessor company of ACM, in 1991. Throughout his tenure at ACM, Mr. Elenio has held the positions of Vice President, Controller, Vice President of Finance, and Senior Vice President, Finance. As Chief Financial Officer of ART, Mr. Elenio is responsible for overseeing all aspects of its financial operations, including financial reporting, tax planning, budgeting, the appropriate utilization of its capital, as well as its investor relations. Prior to joining ACM, Mr. Elenio was employed in Ernst & Young’s auditing department from 1989 to 1990. Mr. Elenio earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from St. Bonaventure University.
William Connolly
Secretary & Vice President
William Connolly serves as our Secretary and Vice President. Mr. Connolly also currently serves as the Executive Vice President & Special Counsel at ART.
William Connolly serves as our Secretary and Vice President. Mr. Connolly also currently serves as the Executive Vice President & Special Counsel at ART. Mr. Connolly joined ART in 2007 and works with ART’s Chairman and other executives in structuring and implementing its various strategic and corporate initiatives. He is also responsible for managing and negotiating significant transactions while ensuring coordination between third parties and the many departments across ART. In addition, he directs legal management of loan originations; asset purchases and sales; asset management activities, including loan restructuring and workouts; and collateralized loan obligation (CLO) structures. Prior to joining ART, Mr. Connolly was an associate at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. Preceding that role, he was an associate at Kaye Scholer LLP. Mr. Connolly earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Government from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law.
John Natalone
Treasurer
John Natalone serves as our treasurer. Since 2008, Mr. Natalone also has served as the Executive Vice President — Treasury and Servicing at ART
John Natalone serves as our treasurer. Since 2008, Mr. Natalone also has served as the Executive Vice President — Treasury and Servicing at ART, where he is responsible for managing all of ART’s financing and banking relationships. In addition, he oversees ART’s Treasury and Servicing operations and is a member of its loan committee. Mr. Natalone joined ANH, and held the title of Senior Director, Office of the President from 1991 to 1995, in which he assisted ANH’s President in running various business units. Prior to joining ART, Mr. Natalone held positions at GE Mortgage and Ernst & Young. Mr. Natalone earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Cyrus D. Walker
Independent Director
Mr. Walker currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of The Dibble Group, an insurance brokerage and consulting firm he founded in 2018. From January 2000, he worked in several roles at Nemco Group, LLC
Mr. Walker currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of The Dibble Group, an insurance brokerage and consulting firm he founded in 2018. From January 2000, he worked in several roles at Nemco Group, LLC — an insurance brokerage and consulting firm — including as its Co-Chief Executive Officer until April 2012, when it was acquired by a subsidiary of NFP Corp. Mr. Walker also founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of OSI Benefits, an insurance brokerage consulting firm from 1995 to January 2000. Mr. Walker serves as a board member of: NFP Corp., an insurance broker and consultant providing specialized property and casualty, corporate benefits, retirement, and individual solutions; APi Group, a service provider of safety, specialty, and industrial services; and Houlihan Lokey, Inc., a publicly held, global investment banking firm. Mr. Walker earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy from Colorado College. We believe Mr. Walker’s lengthy and comprehensive experience in the investment banking field make him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.
Avery Modlin
Independent Director
Mr. Modlin is a self-made executive who made his mark on the Manhattan real estate industry by age twenty seven. Mr. Modlin currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of A.
Mr. Modlin is a self-made executive who made his mark on the Manhattan real estate industry by age twenty seven. Mr. Modlin currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of A. Modlin Consulting, a consulting agency he founded in 2015. In 2000, Mr. Modlin co-founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of The Modlin Group, a boutique real estate firm located in New York City. Before leading The Modlin group, Mr. Modlin held the position of Senior Vice President of a private real estate firm which owned and managed multi-family assets in New York and Florida. Previously, Mr. Modlin held senior positions at The Carlton Group and Haves, Pine and Seligman honing his experience in capitalizing commercial real estate with debt and equity. Additionally, Mr. Modlin has provided noted developers with consulting services in the areas of finance, development and management. Mr. Modlin couples his professional successes with active community and charitable work. He has served as Deputy Mayor and Trustee of Saddle Rock Village in Nassau County, New York, Chairman of the Board and President of the North Shore Hebrew Academy and Treasurer of the Great Neck Synagogue.
Ralph Mack
Independent Director
Mr. Mack currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of Sightly Enterprises, Inc., a marketing and media technology company, focused on digital video advertising and analytics.
Mr. Mack currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of Sightly Enterprises, Inc., a marketing and media technology company, focused on digital video advertising and analytics. For the past 28 years, Mr. Mack has invested in many startups, a majority of which are technology companies and many of which are digital marketing technology companies. He worked on Wall Street for 23 years where he brought companies public, raised debt capital and sold high yield bonds at Bear Stearns and Prudential Securities. Mr. Mack currently sits on the advisory board of Lead Edge Capital, a venture capital and private equity firm. From January 2012 to September 2019, Mr. Mack served as a board member of OneSpot, a marketing technology company, and prior to that, from April 2014 to December 2018, Mr. Mack served as a board member of Welcome Commerce, a SaaS company offering eCommerce solutions. Mr. Mack earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics with majors in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University.
NEWS
Arbor Rapha Capital Bioholdings Corp. I Announces the Separate Trading of its Shares of Class A Common Stock and Redeemable Warrants Commencing December 20, 2021
NEW YORK, NY, December 17, 2021 — Arbor Rapha Capital Bioholodings Corp. I (NASDAQ: ARCKU) (the “Company”) today announced that, commencing December 20, 2021, holders of the units sold in the Company’s…
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Arbor Rapha Capital Bioholdings Corp. I Announces Closing of $172.5 Million Initial Public Offering
Includes Exercise of Underwriters’ Over-Allotment Option in Full NEW YORK, NY, November 2, 2021 — Arbor Rapha Capital Bioholdings Corp. I (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ARCKU) announced today the closing of…
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