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The world’s first magic mushroom research center is launching in Jamaica

What exactly makes magic mushrooms psychedelic? How psychedelic are they? Are there any undiscovered psychedelic molecules hidden inside those freaky fungi?

These questions will be the focus of the world’s first research center focused on these psychedelic lifeforms, launching this year in the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica. The research is wholly funded by a Canadian psychedelic company, Field Trip Ventures, which plans to put the findings to profitable use.  

The announcement comes just weeks after Johns Hopkins became the largest psychedelic research center in the world . But whereas Johns Hopkins and other US research on psychedelics often focuses on the effects of chemically-produced psilocybin (a synthetic version of the main psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms), the University of West Indies research is dedicated to the fungi themselves. 

The research center will study everything from the genetics of magic mushrooms to how best to extract their psychedelic compounds. These goals have both scientific and financial value.

Ronan Levy, co-founder of Field Trip Ventures, has identified two potential business targets: First, the research could establish methods to quantify magic mushrooms’ psychedelic properties, so that people have clearer expectations of their effects. Second, it could identify patentable intellectual property; the company will maintain the rights to all discoveries made at the center. Levy did not respond to questions about how much the company is investing. “There is no specified limit to the amount of funds we will invest in our Jamaican operations provided they continue to generate a positive return on investment,” he said.

The center will employ 10 scientists, with the expectation that more staff will be hired in the coming years. Some scientists are employed by the company, while others are University of the West Indies academics; Field Trip Ventures is paying the university for these academics’ involvement in the research center.  

Quantifying the psychedelic impact of varying mushroom species would be valuable in Jamaica, says Levy, where the fungi are legal and freely sold but the industry lacks oversight. Levy says he’s working with the Jamaican government to create a regulated market, where customers would know the strength of what they’re taking. “One of the big challenges with fungi—and you see this with cannabis—is producing consistent product. That variability is quite profound,” says Levy.  Understanding the psychedelic impact of each mushroom could also help psychedelic therapists know what they’re giving to a patients. 

Kelan Thomas, who researches psychedelic-assisted therapy at the College of Pharmacy at Touro University-California, agrees that this would be of use in psychedelic treatment centers (Thomas has no involvement in Field Trip Ventures or the new research center). Individual researchers have quantified psychoactive molecules in some mushroom species , but there’s more to be done, he says. There are more than 180 types of psychedelic mushrooms, and though the main psychedelic ingredients are psilocybin and baeocystin, Thomas says there’s no definitive analysis of their cellular concentrations. 

The center could also yield novel psychedelic molecules. “People know a lot of these other molecules exist in the plants,” says Thomas, “but don’t know what they do on their own.” If the new center stumbles upon new psychedelics, Field Trip Ventures hopes it could capitalize on their therapeutic potential. The company is already building psychedelic clinics across North America—including New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto—with the belief that, while only ketamine is currently legal, other psychedelic drugs will be legalized for therapeutic purposes in the coming years. “It could be that there’s a new novel molecule discovery, figuring out a way to synthesize that and then put it into a more traditional drug development pathway with phase one, phase two, phase three clinical trials,” says Levy. 

Levy also expects intellectual property to be valuable in a recreational market, should magic mushrooms be widely decriminalized for general use. 

Field Trip Ventures has not identified any new molecules yet, and so research on potential new psychedelic findings is still a long way off. For now, the company is focused on creating the research center, with plans to have construction finished by the end of the year. 

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Field Trip Ventures To Create First Psilocybin Research Facility In Jamaica

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“If cannabis has been significant, psilocybin will have much more of a therapeutic impact,” said Toronto-based cannabis-turned-psychedelics entrepreneur Ronan Levy, when Green Market Report caught up with him to talk about the future of research on psychedelics. 

Field Trip Ventures , the world’s first integrated company in legal psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, announced last month that it has developed a strategic partnership with the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Mona, Jamaica to create the world’s first legal research and cultivation facility dedicated to psilocybin-producing mushrooms. 

One of five co-founders, Ronan Levy, who has found significant success in the cannabis industry, predicts that what will be uncovered about psychedelics at the UWI research facility will be a “paradigm shift in the treatment of mental health.”

What’s Going Down in Jamaica

The partnership will involve Field Trip Natural Products Limited (Field Trip’s Jamaican subsidiary) constructing, funding, and operating a state-of-the-art research and cultivation facility on UWI’s Mona campus. UWI will lease to Field Trip Ventures the land for building the facility, while Field Trip Ventures will provide leading biology, mycology and chemistry researchers to assist Field Trip’s research and cultivation efforts.

Jamaica is an ideal location in which to study the effects of psychedelics, specifically psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”). In Jamaica, psilocybin has never been made illegal, and it remains legal to sell, possess, transport and cultivate. “The legal status of psilocybin in Jamaica enables broader clinical research,” says Levy. Most important is the ability to “get approvals to work with organic psilocybin”. 

Most of the research on psilocybin until now, Levy notes, has been limited to synthetic molecules due to the legal status of psilocybin across the world. Working with organic molecules derived from psilocybin in Jamaica will allow research to be uncovered on how psilocybin, and its precursor molecule psilocin, actually affect humans, especially in light of recent movements towards decriminalization and legalization of psilocybin in Colorado and California. 

The government in Jamaica is supportive of this partnership, as the Minister of Health, Christopher Tufton, is a vocal advocate for this research, and puts the mental health of the people of his country as his primary objective. 

A Best in Class Partnership

UWI has long been known within academic communities as a forward-thinking research and education center. The focus of the UWI Facility will be broad-ranging, from genetics, breeding and cultivation work on the 180+ plus species of psilocybin-producing mushrooms, to developing methods and analysis for extractions and formulations, to identification of novel molecules for drug development purposes. Research at the Facility will be led by Rupika Delgoda, Professor of Biochemical Pharmacology & Pharmacognosy and Director of the Natural Products Institute at UWI, who holds a doctorate from Oxford University (UK) in Pharmacology. “It was an immediate synergy,” said Levy, noting that the partnership brought together “a well-equipped team of scientists” to provide a turnkey solution to legal psychedelics research through the research facility.

Levy notes that the facility will also focus on other molecules with therapeutic interest and values for psychedelics assisted psychotherapy, with best in class practices to enhance the psychotherapy process, and in essence to “suspend the ego”, as Levy describes it. The facility will start looking at ketamine as well while also integrating practices like meditation and breathwork into the psychotherapy sessions. 

A Look at the Growing Psychedelics Movement

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely heard that more people are beginning to turn to psychedelics, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, to manage mental health. Psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, or PAP, involves the professionally supervised use of ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine as part of psychotherapy programs. Clinical results so far are showing safety and efficacy, even for “treatment-resistant” conditions, which is why firms like Field Trip Ventures, and Orthogonal Thinker , who we covered earlier this season, are working so hard to spring the psychedelics movement forward. 

Earlier this fall it was announced that John’s Hopkin’s opened the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research . Researchers intend to focus on how psychedelics affect behavior, mood, cognition, brain function, and biological markers of health. Upcoming studies will determine the effectiveness of psilocybin as a new therapy for opioid addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (formerly known as chronic Lyme disease), anorexia nervosa and alcohol use in people with major depression. 

Field Trip intends to build on the existing and current work that is happening within the psychedelics and psilocybin movement. “Although psilocybin, as a molecule, has been well-studied, there is great opportunity to create impact by developing a better understanding of the fungi that produce psilocybin and other tryptamines.  This is why we are so pleased to be partnering with UWI, a leading global academic institution, in building this facility in Jamaica,” said Mujeeb Jafferi, Field Trip’s President.

Standing on the Shoulders of Cannabis

Working in cannabis, and building a number of successful companies and partnerships, is what Ronan Levy sees as his biggest strength of what he and many of his partners bring to the Field Trip and psychedelics table. 

“I wanted to ensure that I was able to provide a thoughtful and prudent approach to cannabis medicine,” said Levy of his first successful companies Canadian Cannabis Clinics and CanvasRX (co-founded with Field Trip co-founders Joseph del Moral, Hannan Fleiman, and Dr. Ryan Yermus), which have served over 100,000 Canadians in the medical cannabis system. After CanvasRX was sold to Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE: ACB) in 2016, Levy served as Senior Vice President, Business and Corporate Affairs for Aurora. Holding a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Levy saw a natural next step in getting back to entrepreneurship with the psychedelics movement starting to take off. 

Much like the cannabis industry’s maturity, Levy sees the same maturity happening within psychedelics in the way that we’ve been able to classify components of the cannabis plant. Because of what the cannabis industry has done for understanding psychoactive compounds, psychedelics have an excellent benchmark to start off, with Levy noting now “the caliber is higher than cannabis was five years ago.”

Levy is taking his experience in what he refers to as “stigmatized medicine” into this paradigm shift that could have a significant impact on health care in the future.

Because the status of psilocybin still remains illegal across the world, it’s difficult to determine the potential market worth of legal psychedelics. Psychedelic Science Review noted that “any drug with the potential to address a $48 billion cost to employers due to treatment-resistant depression and $249 billion alcohol-associated cost to society, also has the potential to make a momentous impact in the marketplace.”

“We’re getting excitement from conventional pharmaceuticals and Big Pharma,” says Levy.

Green Market Report continues to keep a keen eye on the developing psychedelics industry and looks forward to covering important movements in this promising movement. 

Anne-Marie Fischer

Anne-Marie Fischer is a cannabis educator and writer, engaged with cannabis brands and organizations across the globe. After serving the United States and global cannabis industries, she has recently returned home to Canada to serve the legal cannabis industry with education and engaging content.

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Field Trip Ventures Inc.

Founded by pioneers in the global medical cannabis industry, Field Trip is the world’s first integrated company in legal psychedelics. With current and planned operations in North American, the Caribbean and Europe, Field Trip’s goal is to become the recognized global leader in the medical and therapeutic applications of psychedelics.    

Agenda: xfuture 2019

Sunday, september 22.

How Psychedelic Treatments Work With Ronan Levy of Field Trip

Stephen Hays

Sep 15, 2020

Ronan Levy joins us to talk about how psychedelic treatments work, what all the hype is about, where we are by way of regulation in the industry and the future use cases of psychedelic treatments. Ronan is a co-founder and the Executive Chairman of Field Trip Health. Prior to Field Trip, he was an early pioneer in the medical cannabis industry which gave him a unique perspective on launching the world’s first integrated company in legal psychedelics. Field Trip currently has operations in North America, the Caribbean and Europe where their goal is to become to leader in medical and therapeutic applications of psychedelics.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT:

• Ronan talked about how he found his way into the Psychedelic space by way of the legal cannabis industry from 2013 through 2018.
• Ronan told the founding story of Field Trip Health and talked about what exactly they do, and their mission which is to “heal the sick, and better the well, through psychedelic medicine and therapies.” We talked about how psychedelic treatments have been used to cure mental health problems that so far, through other treatments, have only been mitigated, not cured.Ronan talked about what Field Trip Health does as a company.  In addition to covering the obvious stuff around running psychedelic assisted psychotherapy clinics, he explains other components of their business including content creation, and their efforts around drug development.
• How do psychedelics work? Ronan took time to explain how psychedelic treatments work by breaking them down into three primary effects:
• Psychedelics provide a rather immediate natural anti-depressant effect. Most people report incredibly significant improvement in mood after using psychedelics.
• When on a trip, people report re-living or experiencing emotions or events with some degree of objectivity or detachment allowing that person to go back into feelings and emotions from their past and start to process those feelings and embrace emotional healing from those instances.
• Following a trip, people experience a period of neural plasticity where the circuitry of your brain is more adept and responsive to change and the influence of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Between the dynamics of the mood improvement, the emotional processing, and the CBT that can accelerate the emotional processing that lead to fundamental changes in our neurology.  This is why psychedelics can be so effective.

Some of the clinical trials, such as the trial at MAPS using MDMA to treat PTSD are showing total resolution of all symptoms of PTSD in 70% of people with chronic, severe PTSD.   This is fundamentally different than any other treatment for mental health differences on the market today.

• We talked about the neuroscience around how psychedelics impact the brain. We discussed how psychedelic treatments impact the “Default Mode Network” (or the “operating system) of the brain).  Ronan explains that during a trip, the Default Mode Network is quieted.  This is the part of the brain where our “ego” lives.Our ego is what holds our self-identity and when you can reduce or remove that barrier then you are able to dig into the machinery of how you define yourself and fundamentally address who you are, and address past trauma and pain in a way that leads to real changes.
• We talked about the regulatory landscape as well. Ronan explained that he is 100% convinced that psilocybin and MDMA will be removed from schedule 1.  The only question is around timing and it could be anywhere from 6 months to 5 years from now depending on who you ask and how things unfold politically.

We talked about how far along MAPS is with their phase 3 study using MDMA for treatment of PTSD and how MAPS has spoken publicly about expecting approval by 2022 or 2023 for their use of MDMA for treating PTSD.  We also talked about how synthetic psilocybin developers such as Compass Pathways have indicated progress toward approvals that would lead to widespread use by 2025.

• We talked at length about where people can read more to get smart on the psychedelic space. Many of those resources are linked above in the “links” section.
• I asked Ronan why now the time for the psychedelic renaissance. He explains that as a society we are going through a mental health and wellbeing revolution.  Additionally, research has picked up in earnest at Johns Hopkins, NYU, Imperial College and others on the medical use of psychedelics. At the same time, MAPS has made such enormous progress in showing the effect of MDMA on treating things like PTSD that it is hard to ignore the healing potential.  Also, the broader changing attitudes toward cannabis are helping people revisit stigmatized medicines more broadly.  And finally, the Opioid crisis has done a lot to destroy trust in big pharma / industrial medical complex which is fueling a desire to find more alternative treatments.
• We talked about the differences between the early cannabis industry and the early psychedelic industry as well. The biggest differences that that the renaissance around psychedelics is driven by academic and clinical research.  The evidence around psychedelics is much more persuasive than it ever had been for cannabis.  There are endless volumes of research pointing to the clinical effectiveness of psychedelics.  Some of this is linked above in the “links” section of these show notes.We also talked about how the industry around psychedelic medicine has emerged versus how the cannabis industry emerged.  Cannabis is more of a product focused market where consumer purchase cannabis and use it alone, at home privately.    In the psychedelic space, its different.  Psychedelic drug delivery is more of a service-based approach.  It is not just the drug that matters. It’s the set and setting and the protocols around the trip that matter.  It’s not something you can just do at home as easily as you can with cannabis.
• Where do we go from here? What is the future of psychedelics?  What can it be used to treat? Ronan explained that mental health use-cases are really the low hanging fruit of psychedelic use-cases.  He believes that we can use the anti-inflammatory nature of the drugs to treat things such as wounds, other injuries, and really any condition that includes inflammation. Ronan talked about work currently being done around treating Alzheimer’s patients and how there is also a growing body of evidence around the expansive properties of psychedelic medicines to enhance creativity, empathy, and general wellbeing.Ronan explains that psychedelic treatments will revolutionize psychiatry to the point where in 20-30 years we will look back on psychiatric practices before psychedelics as barbaric.

Meet Field Trip Ventures , a new Canadian venture capital fund that wants to bankroll psychedelics research by financially supporting scientists, clinics, and pharmaceutical companies investigating these experimental — but very much illegal — substances. 

Field Trip Ventures’ founders, Ronan Levy, Joseph de Moral, and Hannan Fleiman, know a thing or two about investing in risky substances, too. All three are prominent members of Canada’s cannabis industry.

“We strongly believe that psychedelics are the next wave of the path that's been created by cannabis,” Levy told Business Insider . “There's no shortage of investment interest in the psychedelic space right now. Almost everybody who's been participating in the cannabis industry is looking at it.”

Related: Bitchin' Blotter Papers

Currently, psychedelics like LSD , MDMA , and psilocybin are being studied as potential treatments for depression, addiction, PTSD , and other psychological challenges posed by terminal illnesses .

Although the FDA considers most psychedelics to be deadly, addictive drugs under the Schedule I category, the administration has, over the years, greenlit research into trippy substances, since conventional pharmaceuticals and psychotherapies have failed to reliably treat certain conditions.

Furthermore, pharmaceutical companies are already looking into psychedelics as the next generation of patented drugs. Public sentiment regarding the illegality of psychedelics seems to be shifting, as well, considering Denver recently decriminalized psilocybin mushrooms, and Oakland decriminalized all natural psychedelics this month.

Field Trip Ventures hasn’t yet declared how much money it plans to raise before kicking off the big investments, but financing should begin this fall.

Because venture capital funds are always high-risk with low probabilities of profitable returns, only accredited investors and venture capitalists (e.g. people with millions in liquid assets) can help fund Field Trip. 

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Meet the top 9 startups raising millions to use psychedelics to treat depression, anxiety, and more

• Investment in psychedelics has ramped up in recent years and companies say that interest from traditional biotech and pharma investors has picked up as well.
• Key investors, like former Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton , hail from the cannabis sector. Others, like PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel have been interested in the industry for years now.
• Business Insider identified the top nine companies that are working to turn psychedelics into approved medicines, for conditions like depression and anxiety. We used a list provided by CB Insights, and reached out to the companies to confirm how much money they've raised.
• This article was updated May 6 with the latest figures from the companies.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories .

It's no secret that investors have been eyeing psychedelics in recent years.

Several cannabis investors have already made the jump, including former Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton, who sits on the board of directors at psychedelics company MindMed . Former cannabis entrepreneurs and investors Ronan Levy, Joseph del Moral, and Hannan Fleiman founded psychedelics company Field Trip Ventures last year.

Psychedelic companies say that interest from traditional biotech and pharma backers has been growing steadily and seriously picking up in 2020.

Helping boost the industry, Johnson & Johnson's ketamine-inspired drug Spravato was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2019 to treat serious forms of depression that don't respond to other treatments. Ketamine is a somewhat psychedelic substance that's used as a surgical anesthetic.

In the midst of the investment rush, clinics aimed at administering psychedelic-based treatments for mental health have started to spring up. Mindbloom recently opened up its first clinic for psychedelic treatment in New York City and Field Trip Ventures, which started out as an investment vehicle for psychedelics companies, told Business Insider it plans to open 50 to 60 psychedelic clinics across Canada and the US by 2023.

Read More: Field Trip raised $8.5 million to take psychedelic medicine mainstream. We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck that helped make it happen.

Data provided by CB Insights shows that equity funding for psychedelic medicine has ramped up since 2017, when investors put $2.8 million into the sector. The following year saw a huge jump, with $70.5 million poured into the industry, and 2020 has already seen $32.7 million invested into the space.

Based on data from CB Insights, Business Insider put together a list of the top startups in the psychedelics space. They range from companies working on drugs using the psychedelics psilocybin and ibogaine to firms setting up clinics across the country to administer the treatments. We contacted every startup to verify the information.

This article was updated on May 5 with the latest information on the companies and their funding.

Aurelius Data — $1 million

Founded: 2019

Location: Montana

Money raised: $1 million

Post-money valuation: $10 million 

What they're working on: Aurelius Data collects and uses data to provide insights into what it describes as "the inevitable future of cannabis and psychedelics as medicine."

CEO Julie Armstrong told Business Insider the company uses "deep learning," a type of machine learning, to help provide context and information around usage, dosage, and application to patients looking to "understand how their traditional medications interacted with alternative medicines."

The company also attempts to use data to provide information on market trends and possible new cures from medicines in the cannabis and psychedelics spaces.

Small Pharma — $2.8 million

Founded: 2015

Location: London 

Money raised: $2.8 million 

Valuation: $5 million in 2019; the company told us in March that it's raising another round, targeting a $15 million pre-money valuation.

What they're working on:  Small Pharma is a UK-based company that is currently working to develop a rapid acting ketamine-based drug called SPL801B to treat depression. 

Small Pharma told Business Insider that investors in the company include Innovate UK, the United Kingdom's government innovation agency, which gave a grant of GBP 140,000 in 2017, and Chris Torrance, co-founder of Horizon Discovery and PhoreMost, who currently sits on Small Pharma's board. 

Orthogonal Thinker's EI.Ventures — $6 million

Founded: 2016

Location: Hawaii

Money raised: $6 million 

Post money valuation: $88.8 million, according to Nate Sumbot, general counsel for the company

What they're working on: Orthogonal Thinker is an investment vehicle whose investments include Maui Raw, a vegan raw-foods producer, to Airbnb, the giant lodging platform.

Orthogonal Thinker's subsidiary EI.Ventures researches and develops psychoactive compounds like psilocybin for mental health treatment. Orthogonal Thinker also develops relationships with other companies to develop psychedelic research and development. 

According to co-founder David Nikzad, the company is focused on filing patent applications for its compounds and creating affordable access to psilocybin in countries "that are looking for better mental healthcare alternatives to standard pharma."

Field Trip Ventures — $9.7 million

Founded: 2019 

Location: Toronto 

Money raised: $8.5 million (series A) and C$1.65 million (seed and pre-seed, about $1.2 million)

Post money valuation: The company declined to provide this.

What they're working on: Field Trip Ventures originally launched in 2019 as a venture fund for psychedelics startups, but is now building out a network of clinics for psychedelic-assisted therapies in Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles. The company said it also hopes to establish a legal cultivation facility for psilocybin-containing mushrooms in Jamaica at the University of the West Indies.

Field Trip Ventures' founders come from the cannabis sector and its series A round, in which it raised $8.5 million, also included investors from the cannabis space, like Subversive Capital and Silver Spike Capital, as previously reported by Business Insider.

Read more: Field Trip raised $8.5 million to take psychedelic medicine mainstream. We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck that helped make it happen.

Cofounder Ronan Levy said the company hopes to open 50 to 60 clinics across Canada and the US by 2023 and told Business Insider that though clinics will add other treatments as research moves forward, the first few clinics will be administering ketamine-based therapy for patients with treatment-resistant depression.

Cyclica — C$14.5 million raised

Founded: 2013

Money raised: C$14.5 million ($10.4 million)

Post money valuation: The company declined to provide a valuation.

What they're working on: Cyclica is a biotechnology company that doesn't deal exclusively with psychedelics but uses AI and biophysics to improve drug discovery practices and accelerate the development of medicines. Basically, Cyclica helps companies developing drugs to do so in the most effective way possible.

In November, Cyclica partnered with ATAI in a joint venture to launch Entheogenix Biosciences. The partnership aims to design new compounds that will "minimize unwanted off-target effects" of psychedelic-based drugs and make them as targeted and effective as possible for clinical trials. 

Cyclica has also recently partnered with China's Institute of Materia Medica Partners , to address the novel coronavirus epidemic, and it's also working on cancer therapies.

Eleusis — $13.5 million

Location: London & New York

Money raised:   $13.5 million 

Post money valuation: The company declined to provide its valuation.

What they're working on:  Eleusis is focused on using psychedelics as treatments for chronic inflammation, something the company says has massive implications for a host of diseases including Alzheimer's disease. Eleusis has tested the effects of low doses of LSD on inflammation associated with aging.

At a psychedelics conference in January, Eleusis chairman and CEO Shlomi Raz told Business Insider's Jeremy Berke that his company was inspired to develop a drug by the example of GW Pharmaceuticals' development of Epidiolex.

Raz told Business Insider in April that the company plans to launch two separate Series A funding rounds for its subsidiaries, Eleusis Therapeutics (which specializes in drug development) and Eleusis Health Solutions (which deals with care delivery) in June and expects to raise around $25 million in total.

MindMed — $30.4 million

Location: US and Canada

Money raised: $30.4 million, before it went public

Market value:  About C$160 million

What they're working on:  MindMed is working on developing the psychedelic ibogaine into a treatment for patients with opioid addiction and has created a compound, 18-MC, that it says maintains the drug's medicinal properties while removing the characteristic hallucinogenic properties associated with the psychedelic. 

The company recently listed on the NEO Exchange , a Toronto-based stock exchange, making it the first psychedelics company to trade publicly.

High profile investors include Shark Tank host Kevin O'Leary, and former Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton, who also sits on MindMed's board of directors.

ATAI Life Sciences — $109 million

Founded: 2018

Location: Munich, Germany

Money raised: $109 million

Post money valuation: $240 million, according to a source familiar with the matter

What they're working on: ATAI is a biotech platform company that invests in and works closely with portfolio and subsidiary companies developing psychedelics like psilocybin, arketamine, and ibogaine into medicines. 

CEO Florian Brand told Business Insider in February that he plans to raise another round of funding soon that is expected to equal or exceed ATAI's Series B round of $43 million. Its current and previous backers include Mike Novogratz, Peter Thiel, Thor Bjorgolfsson, and Steve Jurvetson. A spokesperson told Business Insider, as of early May, that the round is still upcoming.

A company representative said that this time around, ATAI was "focused primarily on institutional and strategic investors."

Compass Pathways — $117 million

Money raised: $117 million

Post money valuation: A spokesperson told Business Insider in March that the company's valuation is "significantly higher" than the $99.95 million figure listed on PitchBook.

What they're working on: Founded in 2016, Compass Pathways is developing psilocybin as a medicine for treatment-resistant depression.

Cofounder Lars Wilde told Business Insider in February that he believes investors are interested in the world of psychedelics today because there has been a lack of innovation in depression treatments since the invention of major drugs in the 1980s and 1990s.

According to ATAI Life Sciences CEO Florian Brand, psilocybin is currently undergoing a mid-stage trial in more than 200 patients in North American and Europe and could be available to patients in three to five years. Compass is one of ATAI's portfolio companies.

• Main content

Field Trip Ventures Inc. Retains KCSA Strategic Communications as Public Relations Counsel

TORONTO , Aug. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Field Trip Ventures Inc. ("Field Trip" or the "Company"), the world's first integrated company in legal psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, announced that it is has retained KCSA Strategic Communications to implement a comprehensive communications program to educate doctors, patients and the investment community about the power, value and impact of psychedelic molecules.

Commenting on the appointment, Ronan Levy , founder said: "Much like cannabis, there has been a growing acceptance of the therapeutic values of psychedelics that is being driven by a groundswell of grassroots support and the reemergence of clinically-driven research. As KCSA has been instrumental in helping to normalize the conversation around cannabis, we look forward to utilizing their support and expertise to raise investor awareness and boost the public conversation around psychedelics as we expand our operational capabilities and explore other investment opportunities within the industry."

Lewis Goldberg , Managing Partner of KCSA Strategic Communications, added: "Tens of Millions of Americans suffer from untreated mental health disorders.  The current slate of pharmaceutical solutions just don't work.  The clinical data generated by NYU , Johns Hopkins and the Imperial College in the UK, around the efficacy of psychedelic psychotherapy is incontrovertible.  The challenge towards acceptance lays in education.  Think about this as Cannabis circa 2008, people are interested, but there is no regulatory structure or financial vehicles to move this space forward.  That is where Field Trip Ventures comes in. Ronan and his team are on the cutting edge of normalizing the conversation around these molecules."

About Field Trip Ventures Field Trip Ventures is a first-of-its-kind venture that is blending operational execution with strategic investments across all aspects of the psychedelics value chain — from basic research on fungal/botanical psychedelics to operation of world class clinics focused on psychedelics-assisted therapies. Learn more at https://fieldtrip.ventures

About KCSA Strategic Communications Now in its 50th year, KCSA Strategic Communications ( www.kcsa.com ) is a fully-integrated communications agency specializing in public relations, investor relations, social media and marketing with expertise in financial and professional services, technology, healthcare, media and energy companies. Since 1969, the firm has demonstrated strategic thinking and program execution that drives results for its clients in the ever-changing communications and digital landscape. The firm's clients are its best references.

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/kcsastrategic Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KCSAStrategic LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/kcsa-strategic-communications

SOURCE KCSA Strategic Communications

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Field Trips at Edventure

EdVenture offers a variety of hands-on classroom and laboratory programs focused on enhancing school curriculum. Our standards-based field trips offer an exciting twist and springboard to your instruction.

Program Descriptions

EdVenture offers a few options per grade to make sure that our programs are an excellent compliment to curriculum. Due to our in-house Summer camps, school and group programs are only available from September – May.

Pre-K Programs

Inspired by the popular children’s tales, students will dive into the world of engineering to solve different tasks facing the story’s characters. Students will build bridges, craft boats, construct houses, and much more. Tiny tinkerers will even try their hand at basic coding tasks to help save the day! This hands-on program builds teamwork and problem-solving skills in addition to magical structures!

Subject: Engineering, Physical Science SC Early Learning Standards: APL-1, APL-2, APL-3, APL-4, APL-5, APL-6, APL-7, APL-8, APL-9, ESD-5, LDC-1, LDC-3, LDC-4, LDC-7, CD-3, CD-11

Come explore the world of plants and discover all the amazing things they do! We’ll track the life cycle of a plant from seed to sprout, determine what they need to survive, and find out how we rely on plants in our everyday lives. Little botanists will grow and dig, planting the seeds of learning for years to come! This program is designed to accommodate 25 students per session.

Subject: Life Science SC Early Learning Standards: APL-1, APL-2, APL-3, APL-4. APL-5, APL-6, APL-7, APL-8, APL-9, ESD-4, ESD-5, LDC-1, LDC-3, LDC-4, LCD-7, CD-2, CD-3, CD-10, CD-11

Prepare for take-off as we embark on an EdVenture to many wondrous places around the world! Your students will experience life as children from different cultures. From chores, to school, to music and birthdays, kids around the world do many of the same things we do! Grab your passport and prepare for an epic journey around the world!

Subject: Social Studies SC Standards: K.H.1, K.H.2, K.G.1, K.G.2

Kindergarten Programs

First grade programs.

Students will apply math concepts to real life problems and puzzles. They will work in teams to solve a series of challenges that require critical thinking and creativity. Students will learn how math is a part of everyday life and how their choices will impact their final score. May the odds (and evens) be ever in their favor!

Subject: Mathematics SC Standards: 1.ATO.1, 1.ATO.5, 1.G.1, 1.G.2, 1.G.4

Weather happens every day, but how… and why? Students will take on the role of meteorologists as they participate in interactive displays exploring the “three ingredients” of weather: temperature, precipitation, and air. They will discover how the weather changes throughout the year and how to stay safe when it turns severe. With plenty of instruments to help young scientists collect data and take readings, this class is sure to be a hit, no matter the season!

Subject: Earth Science SC Standards : 1-ESS1-2

Second Grade Programs

Subject: Mathematics SC Standards: 2.NSBT.6, 2.ATO.1, 2.ATO.2, 2.G.1, 2. MDA.1, 2.MDA.7

Solids and liquids and gases, oh my! Embark on a fantastic voyage through the phases of matter as we learn how they are used and how they change… right before our eyes! Using dry ice and liquid nitrogen, our educators will make balloons disappear, kettles whistle, and flash freeze marshmallows as a tasty frozen treat for your students to try!

Subject: Physical Science SC Standards : 2-PS1-1, 2-PS1-2, 2-PS1-3, 2-PS1-4

Explore with us as we dissect our world to learn how our beautiful Earth came to be and how it continues to change every day. We’ll explore both natural changes and man-made ones and look at solutions to help maintain our fantastic planet. This program is designed to accommodate 25 students per session

Subject: Earth Science SC Standards: 2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-1, 2-ESS2-2, 2-ESS2-3, 2-ESS3-1

It’s slime time! In this interactive lab class students will learn about non-Newtonian fluids and how we use them every day. They will observe how different fluids perform under pressure by participating in a “viscosity race” and explore the world of polymers by creating their own… slime! This program is designed to accommodate 25 students per session.

Subject: Physical Science SC Standards: 2-PS1-1

Third Grade Programs

Discover the world of motion in this high energy program that teaches students how different forces affect the way things move. We’ll use catapults to conduct experiments on objects with varying masses, shapes, and friction. Students will zoom across the room, experiencing how speed and velocity get us from place to place. Newton’s “Laws of Motion” will be put to the test in this action filled program.

Subject: Physical Science SC Standards: 3-PS2-1, 3-PS2-2

Enter a world where objects levitate, colors move across tables, and tennis balls stick to your hand! Students will explore magnetic fields, generate electricity, and engage in hands-on experiments to unwrap the mystery of magnetism.

Subject: Physical Science SC Standards: 3-PS2-3, 3-PS2-4

Explore with us as we dissect our world to learn how our beautiful Earth came to be and how it continues to change every day. We’ll explore both natural changes and man-made ones and look at solutions to help maintain our fantastic planet. This program is designed to accommodate 25 students per session.

Subject: Earth Science SC Standards: 3-LS4-1, 3-LS4-4

Subject: Earth Science SC Standards: 3-ESS2-2, 3-ESS3-1

Fourth Grade Programs

Discover the world of motion in this high energy program that teaches students about how different forces affect the way things move. We’ll use catapults to conduct experiments on objects with varying masses, shapes, and friction. Students will zoom across the room, experiencing how speed and velocity get us from place to place. Newton’s “Laws of Motion” will be put to the test in this action filled program.

Subject: Physical Science SC Standards: 4-PS3-1, 4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-3

Subject: Earth Science SC Standards: 4-ESS1-1, 4-ESS2-1, 4-ESS2-2, 4-ESS3-2

Subject: Physical Science SC Standards: 5-PS1-1, 5-PS1-2, 5-PS1-3, 5-PS1-4

Fifth Grade Programs

Subject: Physical Science SC Standards: 5-PS2-1

Come explore the world of plants and discover all the amazing things they do! We’ll track the life cycle of a plant from seed to sprout, determine what they need to survive, and find out how we rely on plants in our everyday lives. Little botanists will grow and dig, planting the seeds of learning for years to come! This program is designed to accommodate 25 students per session. 

Weather happens every day, but how… and why? Students will take on the role of meteorologists and participate in interactive displays exploring the “three ingredients” of weather: temperature, precipitation, and air. They will discover how the weather changes throughout the year and how to stay safe when it turns severe. With plenty of instruments to help young scientists collect data and take readings, this class is sure to be a hit, no matter the season!

Subject: Earth Science SC Standards: K-PS3-1, K-PS3-2, K-ESS2-1, K-ESS3-2

Explore with us as we dissect our world to learn how our beautiful Earth came to be and how it continues to change every day. We’ll explore both natural changes and man-made ones and look at solutions to help maintain our fantastic planet. This program is designed to accommodate 25 students per session. 

It’s slime time! In this interactive lab class students will learn about non-Newtonian fluids and how we use them every day. They will observe how different fluids perform under pressure by participating in a “viscosity race” and explore the world of polymers by creating their own… slime! This program is designed to accommodate 25 students per session. 

Explore with us as we dissect our world to learn how our beautiful Earth came to be and how it continues to change every day. We’ll explore both natural changes and man-made ones and look at solutions to help maintain our fantastic planet. This program is designed to accommodate 25 students per session. 

Pricing + Locations

To qualify for school and group pricing, visits must be scheduled and confirmed in advance, with our school and group scheduler. These rates are not be available at the front desk upon arrival without prior advanced booking. Please note the following:

• Visits must be paid in full in one single transaction, including the cost of additional chaperones.
• EdVenture requires 1:7 ratio for chaperones to students. Rates listed below covers the cost of one chaperone for every seven students.
• EdVenture does not provide an indoor space for groups to eat lunch. Please plan your schedule accordingly. Coble Plaza, adjacent to the museum, is available with no reservation necessary.

EdVenture Columbia

Student + Museum Exploration  |  $8 per student

Student +  Museum Exploration +  Program  |  $10 per student (Programs require at minimum 15 students)

Teachers  |  Free

Any additional program is $2 per student. Certain programs may be subject to a consumables fee.

One chaperone is built into the admission for every seven students.   Additional chaperones may be added at $8 each and are to be reserved through the school and their payment included in the final payment.

Student + Chaperone Museum Exploration  |  $10 per person

Student + Chaperone Museum Exploration +  Program  |  $12 per person (Programs require at minimum 15 students)

EdVenture Myrtle Beach

Student + Museum Exploration  |  $6 per student

Student +  Museum Exploration +  Program  |  $8 per student (Programs require at minimum 15 students)

Additional Program  |  $2

Certain programs may be subject to a consumables fee.

Student + Chaperone Museum Exploration  |  $7 per person

Student + Chaperone Museum Exploration +  Program  |  $9 per person (Programs require at minimum 15 students)

To qualify for school and group pricing, visits must be scheduled and confirmed in advance, with our school and group scheduler. These rates may not be available at the front desk upon arrival without prior advanced booking.

Student + Chaperone Museum Exploration  |  $8 per person

Student + Museum Exploration +  Program  |  $10 per person (Programs require at minimum 15 students)

Student +  Museum Exploration  |  $6 per person

Student + Chaperone Museum Exploration +  Program  |  $8 per person (Programs require at minimum 15 students)

Book your Field Trip

Upon submitting this request and once received, our school and group scheduler will contact you via an email or phone call. Please check your spam folder for an email from edventure.org. Your field trip is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation letter from our school and group scheduler and payment arrangements have been made. 

Due to our in-house Summer camps, school and group programs are only available from September – May.

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• Category: Games

How Beyond Xbox: Field Trips is Teaching Valuable Life Skills via Game Pass Favorites

Xbox has teamed up with Ukie’s Digital Schoolhouse to launch Beyond Xbox: Field Trips, a series of interactive learning experiences, available on Spotify , to help young people learn through play.

These experiences are set to be delivered as a series of podcasts, featuring seven Xbox Game Pass titles. Each audio journey will focus on a specific game, and the skills that are encouraged and honed while playing. The Field Trips aim to help young people sharpen thought processes, learn collaborative skills, and experience a sense of accomplishment in an immersive environment.

Xbox Wire had the opportunity to sit down with Ollie Bray, co-author of the European Games in Schools Handbook, who helped shape this project. With Bray, we found out how this the podcasts came to be, and what makes Xbox’s catalogue the perfect selection for skills-based learning.

Bray has a background in teaching, and, like many academics, found himself frustrated by more traditional methods to get young people involved with classroom activities. The original thought process of how games can assist with this hurdle came from Sim City , which encourages its players to think about urban planning in an interesting way.

“The traditional ways that we do things are often really dull, but games and simulations offer personalised learning experiences,” Bray says. “When we’re thinking about ‘soft skills’, these game environments are a really good example of how to develop those.”

Beyond Xbox: Field Trips has a couple of main goals in mind, according to Bray. One is to showcase video games as tools that can generate powerful learning opportunities.

The other is to demonstrate how games do not have to have been made specifically for educational purposes to have educational benefits.

We had the chance to listen to the Sea of Thieves episode of Beyond Xbox: Field Trips ahead of its release, which focuses on encouraging teamwork and delegation – something that is already integral to Sea of Thieves ’ gameplay.

“There are aspects of the game where young people are picking up maps, which links to geography, how we learn about latitude and longitude, compass directions, map orientation, all sorts of skills,” Bray says.

“It’s the kind of hard learning you’d expect to get in a geography classroom, which is often reinforced by a textbook or video, but in this case, we’re reinforcing it through interactive gameplay, which gives young people motivation.”

On the campaign, Shahneila Saeed, Director of Digital Schoolhouse and Head of Education at Ukie added, “we’re very excited to be supporting such an original and unique program, using games to develop the skills of young people. I can’t wait to see how these audio learning journeys are implemented in our Digital Schoolhouse network over the coming months, and the impact that they will have.”

Each audio learning journey is available on Spotify , and prompts players to take part in a number of in-game tasks in order to develop important soft skills. All seven games are available via Xbox Game Pass , and can be seen below alongside the skills they encourage:

• Grounded – Problem Solving & Analytical Thinking
• Sea of Thieves – Teamwork and Delegation
• Minecraft – Creativity and Innovation
• Microsoft Flight Simulator – Focus and Diligence
• PowerWash Simulator – Motivation and Prioritisation
• Age of Empires IV – Strategy and Decision making
• Cities: Skylines – Planning and Adaptability

Choosing Game Pass titles was another important element of Beyond Xbox: Field Trips. Bray shares that all of these games can be accessed with just one Game Pass membership.

“We wanted to include a number of different genres of game to be able to cater for different interests,” Bray explains. “You’ll find your classic sandbox game in there, Minecraft ; survival elements from Grounded ; and more surprising titles such as Powerwash Simulator , which is a difficult game to explain, but is hugely therapeutic to play.”

A final note that Bray touches on is how play is highly encouraged during early development, and again later in adult life, but there’s a middle point where leaning on resources like video games is underutilized. Bray adds, “this makes me wonder if we can rethink the approach to the middle part a little – games are a highly engaging learning environment.”

Beyond Xbox: Field Trips are now available via Spotify for players in the UK and Mexico. They can also be accessed as in more accessible formats as visual guides on Xbox.com to cater to different learning styles.

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• Tour Account ›
• Travel Forum ›
• Travel Forum

A trip to Moscow

I'm going to organize a trip this summer. I want to plan everything. I’ll fly from London to Moscow, and I also want to visit St. Petersburg. Could you, please, advise me what places I should visit? I’ll stay in Moscow for about 10 days before going to St. Petersburg. Thank you!

Not a country I’d be spending my money in at the moment.

Ditto. Ditto!

I don't really see the point of shunning a country because you don't agree with its leader and/or its government. Would you go to Italy? China? Tourist dollars are more likely to get into the hands of the people rather than any corrupt bureaucracy and meeting friendly tourists might just change the locals opinions of foreigners and even give them some information they don't get from local news media.

Hopefully , I won't be starting a war here , but I must say I agree with Chani's comments . Having taken three year visas in 2015 , we have been to Moscow and St; Petersburg ( once to Moscow , and twice to St Petersburg ) . The History , Art , Music ( I am a classically trained musician ) and Culture , fascinate us . Much to experience there and advance preparation is essential , To get a good grounding for your visit , read this lavish and detailed book by Suzanne Massie , it's one of the best ways to immerse yourself in what you will experience - https://www.amazon.com/Land-Firebird-Beauty-Old-Russia/dp/096441841X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521652009&sr=8-1&keywords=land+of+the+firebird+massie&dpID=51CPK13XKGL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

And while leaders of such countries can point to foreign visitor numbers as a sign of support ? I also believe that personal safety for certain travellers, especially obvious minorities, cannot be guaranteed, as fervent nationalism increases, and tolerance levels evaporate. Just as I may decide against a purchase at the supermarket because of a company’s behaviour, ethics will always be a consideration.

Well, I'd argue supermarket ethics does not readily translate to travel ethics - the latter is far more complex. Personally, I see the whole "vote with my hard-earned travel dollar" approach as overly simplistic, but if it's your position - I totally respect it.

What I don't understand is members volunteering ethical guidance in response to what seems an innocuous request for travel-related information.

Note a discussion on ethics hosted a year ago by the Webmaster of this very forum.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/travel-ethics-612334a0-0ca1-4128-b088-c13d1d8a91c3

I appreciate Rick Steves' point of view in his "Travel As A Political Act". That said, Putin's Russia is not a place I would support. But, to each his or her own....

From a practical point of view, travel between the two countries can be difficult. I understand the Russians who traveled in the US this past winter had to go to the US Embassy in the country of Georgia to get visas because the Russians expelled American embassy personnel. If you do travel to Russia, you may be on your own. See the American travel advisory: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/russia-travel-advisory.html

Travel Advisory January 10, 2018 Russia – Level 3: Reconsider travel Reconsider travel to Russia due to terrorism and harassment. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory U.S. citizens are often victims of harassment, mistreatment, and extortion by law-enforcement and other officials. U.S. consular assistance to detained individuals is often unreasonably delayed by Russian officials. Russia also enforces special restrictions on dual U.S.-Russian nationals. Due to the Russian government-imposed reduction on U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia, the U.S. government has reduced ability to provide services to U.S. citizens.

We have traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg over the past few years. As in the US, most of the people we encountered helpful and not particularly political. In Moscow, we stayed at The Garden Ring Hotel which was a close walk to the metro. The hotel was very comfortable and quiet for being in the city. We loved the art museums and the Georgian restaurants. In St. Petersburg, we stayed at both The 3Mosta hotel near the Hermitage and the Art Hotel Demetra.. In St. Petersburg, we especially liked the Hermitage and Russian museum. Learning the Cyrillic alphabet and having a good map is a must.

As I think the point about ethical considerations has been made, please keep future replies more specific to the question at hand. Thanks.

Either read a good travel book or book a guide who can personally take you to the best places that interest you and tell about the sights you're seeing. We used Dan Petrov on 2 different trips to Moscow and found him to be wonderfully friendly and witty not to mention super knowledgeable.

Latest advice, Australian Governmemt, 1 April 2018. “Due to heightened political tensions, you should be aware of the possibility of anti-Western sentiment or harassment. While the Australian Government is not aware of any increased difficulties for Australians travelling in Russia at this time, you should follow the security and political situation closely and keep up to date with this travel advice. Remain vigilant, avoid any protests or demonstrations and avoid commenting publicly on political developments.”

We very much enjoyed our group trip to Moscow and St Petersburg last year. excellent guides and accommodations. While Steven who has replied here has excellent advice, ( and we took advantage of it), we felt an organized tour really facilitated our enjoyment of the country. You may want to consider a combination of an organized tour and than adding independent days . Some of the Australians on the tour had arrived a couple of days earlier than the tour stated and then some stayed later. If we were to go again (which I would), that"s how I would do it. And I must say , it was enlightening to have conversations with the Russian tour guides and the non Americans about the current world situation. Not that we went into any great depth, but I think we all went away with a little more understanding. Top places: allow lots of time in St Petersburg at the Hermitage- take a separate day for the Impressionist building. In Moscow, the Russian Art Museum was amazing.

Solid advice from Australian government quoted above, especially the keeping up to date part.

I checked the current version (Sep 18) of that advisory - and it hasn't been updated much. In fact, some sections don't seem to have changed since 2005 - their recommendations for importing/exporting currency and financial instruments, for example, are at least five years behind.

I do like reading governmental travel advisories for entertainment purposes - for instance, up until very recently the US one sternly advised potential travelers that Moscow was largely a cash-based economy (couldn't be further from the truth) and warned about intrinsic dangers of gypsy cabs (which had all but disappeared by 2015).

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.