Abell Foundation
The Abell Foundation was inaugurated over a half a century ago, Chairman Harry C. Black and the founding board members set an agenda that allocated grants for schools, hospitals, and human service organizations reaching out to the disadvantaged in the Baltimore community and the region. In the past three decades, the Foundation has sharpened its focus to address complex challenges to break through the cycles of urban poverty. Today, the Foundation places the highest priority on creating solutions that are both innovative and will ensure accountability. This is the commitment of The Abell Foundation: to give hope by opening the doors of opportunity to the disenfranchised, knowing that no community can succeed and thrive if those who live on the margins are not included. We invite you to use this website to visit our Publications/Research section where you'll find thought-provoking perspectives on issues affecting the community at large.
The Abell Foundation places a priority on supporting efforts that enhance the quality of life in the areas of community development, education, health and human services, criminal justice and addictions, workforce development and to a lesser extent, conservation/environment, and arts and culture. The Foundation is among the largest private foundations in Maryland with assets of more than $314 million.
35 past transactions
Pixelligent Technologies, LLC
Series C in 2016
Producers reinvents the way composite materials are made by synthetically replicating a broad set of metal oxide materials found in nature. Its proprietary product development and fully scaled manufacturing platform, the PixClearProcess®, enables Pixelligent to engineer PixClear® materials to seamlessly integrate into the most common manufacturing processes, including inkjet, nanoimprint, spin coating, dispensing, slot-dye and photolithography.
Lifesprout
Seed Round in 2018
LifeSprout is developing the next generation of synthetic soft tissue substitutes for aesthetic and reconstructive medicine. LifeSprout offers revolutionary products for aesthetic and regenerative medicine. Leveraging recent breakthroughs in materials science, we have created a platform that looks and behaves like the body’s own tissues. The company is turning this into a suite of products for millions of patients each year with soft tissue losses from aging, cancer, and metabolic disease.
Arbit, Inc.
Seed Round in 2017
Arbit is a polling application that gives brands and people the ability to create polls, share opinions, aggregate results, and view analytics all in real-time. Backed by NBA players Steve Blake, Anthony Tolliver, Caron Butler, and Ty Lawson, Arbit is growing among the top names in sports and pop culture. From a B2B perspective, brands are utilizing Arbit as they poll across the platform in order to better gauge consumer sentiment towards their products, giving them an instantaneous, interactive platform to engage with their target audience.
Common Curriculum, Inc.
Grant in 2012
Common Curriculum, Inc. operates a platform that enables teachers, teams, and schools plan their lessons. Its platform also enables teachers and admins to simplify their lesson and unit planning, organize their lessons, and collaborate with their schools. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Marinalife, LLC
Series A in 2023
Marinalife provides premium content and valuable services for all types of boaters. The Marinalife Cruising Club membership offers boaters access to detailed marina information, travel resources including trip itineraries and destination guides to make their next boating adventure stress-free. In addition, the Marinalife magazine, a quarterly travel and lifestyle publication, provides boaters with entertaining and useful articles about destinations, marinas, cruising stories, captain's tips and more.
Perceptive Navigation LLC
Seed Round in 2015
Perceptive Navigation LLC, a pre-clinical stage medical device company, develops interventional medical devices for the image-guided surgery market. The company offers Vu-Path, an intracorporeal ultrasound medical device that includes front-viewing ultrasound imaging combined with a working portal used for introducer needles, biopsy needles, guide wires, and the delivery of therapeutics. Its solution is used in various medical and surgical disciplines, including radiology, cardiology, interventional oncology, pulmonology, and urology markets. Perceptive Navigation LLC was incorporated in 2012 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Marigold Health
Seed Round in 2017
Marigold Health uses AI-augmented chat support groups to reach and retain patients with behavioral health needs in community-based treatment. Patients receive a personalized wraparound support while care teams see dramatic gains in capacity using patients to engage each other.
We partner directly with treatment providers and managed care organizations in the Medicaid market.
North American Wave Engine Corporation (NAWEC)
Venture Round in 2022
North American Wave Engine Corporation is engaged in the design and development of wave engines for jet wave engine
Their technology leverages recent scientific developments to offer unparalleled levels of Thrust-to-Weight and Thrust Specific Fuel Consumption without the use of any moving parts.
Snag-A-Slip
Series A in 2017
Snag-A-Slip is a cloud-based technology platform that connects boaters with marina owners and allows boaters to book transient slips with ease and confidence wherever and whenever they choose. No booking fees for the boater. Ever. Just…Explore. Book. Boat. Marina owners have access to a cloud-based back-end inventory management system to easily maintain available slips. Marinas pay a transaction fee only when slips are booked. No Commitment. No Risk.
As an avid boater and 20-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Dan Cowens, Founder and CEO of Snag-A-Slip, sought to build a company that would make boating easier and more fun for everyone. Snag-A-Slip has made tremendous traction changing the way boaters and marinas owners think about the boating experience.
Sonavex, Inc.
Series A in 2017
Sonavex is committed to improving outcomes for surgical patients by using cutting-edge imaging technology to provide clinicians with visualization of critical data -- directly at the point of care. The company's technology offers a proprietary technology platform that utilizes ultrasound to detect blood clots after surgery, enabling clinicians to measure critical intravascular flow metrics to detect post-operative clots directly at the point of care and improve outcomes.
SIMPLi
Seed Round in 2021
SIMPLi is an ethically-sourced ingredients company with a larger mission of tackling a fraudulent international supply chain. SIMPLi works directly with the growing communities in Peru, Greece and other countries to bypass all the middle parties to bring single origin, nutrient-dense ingredients straight to your kitchen.
Vixiar Medical
Series A in 2019
Vixiar Medical develops non-invasive, cost-effective devices, and systems for monitoring cardiopulmonary diseases, particularly those with a significant clinical and economic burden. The Company’s first product, Indicor, is a handheld point of care device and digital platform for monitoring worsening heart failure.
Sonavex, Inc.
Seed Round in 2015
Sonavex is committed to improving outcomes for surgical patients by using cutting-edge imaging technology to provide clinicians with visualization of critical data -- directly at the point of care. The company's technology offers a proprietary technology platform that utilizes ultrasound to detect blood clots after surgery, enabling clinicians to measure critical intravascular flow metrics to detect post-operative clots directly at the point of care and improve outcomes.
Vixiar Medical
Seed Round in 2017
Vixiar Medical develops non-invasive, cost-effective devices, and systems for monitoring cardiopulmonary diseases, particularly those with a significant clinical and economic burden. The Company’s first product, Indicor, is a handheld point of care device and digital platform for monitoring worsening heart failure.
North American Wave Engine Corporation (NAWEC)
Venture Round in 2018
North American Wave Engine Corporation is engaged in the design and development of wave engines for jet wave engine
Their technology leverages recent scientific developments to offer unparalleled levels of Thrust-to-Weight and Thrust Specific Fuel Consumption without the use of any moving parts.
SeeFuture
Seed Round in 2013
SeeFuture allows college students to sign up as early as freshmen year and apply to their member companies for mentorship. Once accepted students are paired with a mentor from the company who works with the student through company specific learning modules. All interaction between students and mentors is conducted face to face via webcam technology built into the SeeFuture platform. From their students are immersed into the organization, are able to build real networks, and have a better chance at securing an internship or even entry level job with the company.
University of Maryland
Grant in 2018
University of Maryland has enjoyed a remarkable rise in accomplishment and reputation over the past two decades. By any measure, Maryland is now one of the nation's preeminent public research universities and on a path to become one of the world's best. To fulfill this promise, we must capitalize on our momentum, fully exploit our competitive advantages, and pursue ambitious goals with great discipline and entrepreneurial spirit. This promise is within reach.
Pixelligent Technologies, LLC
Venture Round in 2018
Producers reinvents the way composite materials are made by synthetically replicating a broad set of metal oxide materials found in nature. Its proprietary product development and fully scaled manufacturing platform, the PixClearProcess®, enables Pixelligent to engineer PixClear® materials to seamlessly integrate into the most common manufacturing processes, including inkjet, nanoimprint, spin coating, dispensing, slot-dye and photolithography.
Jetpack, Inc.
Seed Round in 2017
Jetpack, Inc. provides online retail and delivery of food and non-food products at doorstep at night. The company caters to college students. Jetpack, Inc. was incorporated in 2017 and is based in Stanford, California.
ReGelTec, Inc.
Venture Round in 2018
ReGelTec, Inc., a medical device company, develops minimally invasive spinal implants for lower back pain and degenerative disc disease. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
Spine Align, LLC
Seed Round in 2020
Spine Align, LLC develops patent-pending imaging technology that enables 3D, full-length quantitative measurements of spinal alignment in surgery. The company was incorporated in 2017 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland.
BurnAlong, Inc.
Venture Round in 2020
BurnAlong, Inc. develops an online fitness and wellness video application. Its platform allows people to work out with friends and fitness instructors across the country via video feed. It primarily serves corporate employers, municipalities, insurers and brokers, individuals, and senior citizens. BurnAlong, Inc. was formerly known as Paladym LLC. The company was incorporated in 2016 and is based in Pikesville, Maryland.
NextStep Robotics Inc.
Convertible Note in 2020
NextStep Robotics Inc. manufactures a device to treat foot drop. The company provides clinics the ability to offer personalized robotic therapy through adaptive software that provides a personalized assistance as-needed approach. The software transitions into an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system to assess and assigns training protocols optimized for each patient’s deficit. NextStep Robotics Inc. was incorporated in 2017 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
ReGelTec, Inc.
Series A in 2020
ReGelTec, Inc., a medical device company, develops minimally invasive spinal implants for lower back pain and degenerative disc disease. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
NextStep Robotics Inc.
Seed Round in 2019
NextStep Robotics Inc. manufactures a device to treat foot drop. The company provides clinics the ability to offer personalized robotic therapy through adaptive software that provides a personalized assistance as-needed approach. The software transitions into an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system to assess and assigns training protocols optimized for each patient’s deficit. NextStep Robotics Inc. was incorporated in 2017 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
GiveCorps
Angel Round in 2012
GiveCorps' mission is to nurture an online community where people find their passion to GIVE , local non-profits find their CORPS supporters, and local merchants reward donors for giving. Highlighting compelling local projects, GiveCorps seeks to raise more than $5 million a year in each city by inspiring at least 500 local citizens daily to give $25 to improve the quality of life in their City.
Lifesprout
Series A in 2020
LifeSprout is developing the next generation of synthetic soft tissue substitutes for aesthetic and reconstructive medicine. LifeSprout offers revolutionary products for aesthetic and regenerative medicine. Leveraging recent breakthroughs in materials science, we have created a platform that looks and behaves like the body’s own tissues. The company is turning this into a suite of products for millions of patients each year with soft tissue losses from aging, cancer, and metabolic disease.
Ride RoundTrip, Inc.
Seed Round in 2018
Ride RoundTrip, Inc. provides a digital marketplace to coordinate patient transportation. It offers a Roundtrip, a patient ride ordering software that makes available a community of ride providers who complete the transport. The company’s platform connects patients with on-demand, non-emergency medical transportation, such as medical cars, wheelchair vans, and stretcher vehicles. It offers its solutions for healthcare organizations and transport companies. The company has strategic partnerships with lyA, WELLRYDE, Epic, TRAUMASOFT, REDOX, and HITCH-HEALTH. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sisu Global Health
Seed Round in 2016
Sisu Global Health provides clinically proven, patented, high margin devices, starting with Hemafuse, a highly effective alternative to donor blood. With a simple push and pull of a handle, the device transfers blood from where it is pooled in internal bleeding to a blood bag: blood is salvaged and immediately re-transfused. Sisu achieved regulatory approval in Ghana and Kenya and Hemafuse and signed two distribution contracts.
Founded in 2014 by Carolyn Yarina, Gillian Henker, and Katie Kirsch, Sisu Global Health is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
Loople Mobile
Seed Round in 2016
Loople Mobile offers a business intelligence product and marketing solution for the alcohol industry. The smartphone application enables individuals to find and go to bars and restaurants in the vicinities based on drink specials, seating arrangements, and offers.
Loople Mobile was founded by David Phelan and Philip DiMuro in February 2014 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Pixelligent Technologies, LLC
Venture Round in 2013
Producers reinvents the way composite materials are made by synthetically replicating a broad set of metal oxide materials found in nature. Its proprietary product development and fully scaled manufacturing platform, the PixClearProcess®, enables Pixelligent to engineer PixClear® materials to seamlessly integrate into the most common manufacturing processes, including inkjet, nanoimprint, spin coating, dispensing, slot-dye and photolithography.