NBA star Russell Westbrook, already an investor in a sports and entertainment business being built up by Christian Kanady, is now part of a fund backing the pharmaceutical startup Wheeler Bio.
The company, founded by Kanady, announced the closing of a $35 million Series A-1 financing round led by Alloy Therapeutics and Echo Investment Capital, with participation from Russell Westbrook Enterprises, Mitsubishi Corporation and Germin8 Ventures.
The undisclosed investment by Westbrook in Wheeler Bio is in addition to an “eight-figure” deal (at least $10 million) announced in November with the sports and entertainment division of Echo that coincided with Kanady buying a majority interest in the Energy FC and announcing plans to start a women’s soccer team.
Westbrook’s prior investment also includes creation of a mixed-use development adjacent to a multi-use stadium being built next by the city as part of MAPS 4.
“Wheeler Bio continues to redefine the art of the possible for drug development in the United States,” Kanady said. “This impressive lineup of investors symbolizes both deepened and new partnerships that will be significant as Wheeler accelerates growth and ultimately scales its footprint in Oklahoma City and beyond.”
Wheeler Bio launched in 2021 at Kanady’s Ziggurat building at 120 Robert S. Kerr Ave. with plans to expand into up to half of a 400,000-square-foot manufacturing and office building recently completed as part of the Convergence development at 308 NE 9.
Westbrook posted about his latest investment on his LinkedIn page, saying the investment is “just the beginning.”
“I’m excited to support Wheeler Bio as they expand the capabilities in antibody-based therapy development,” Westbrook wrote. “This round will drive the construction of a new 52,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and biomanufacturing training center in Oklahoma City.”