Brightstone VIII

Brightstone VIII is a venture capital fund managed by Brightstone Venture Capital, a Minneapolis-based private equity firm established in 1985. The firm specializes in early-stage investments, focusing on technology and life science companies across the United States. With a 30-year history of fostering successful businesses, Brightstone Venture Capital seeks to partner with innovative entrepreneurs who possess a unique vision for addressing significant challenges in expanding markets. The firm is dedicated to supporting these entrepreneurs in realizing their ambitious goals.

Jeff Cowan

Managing Partner

David Dalvey

Managing General Partner

Patrick O'Shaughnessy

Managing Partner

Past deals in Minnesota

Cryosa

Series A in 2020
CryOSA, Inc., a medical device company, develops novel treatments for patients with sleep disordered breathing. It offers therapies for obstructive sleep apnea. CryOSA, Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Roseville, Minnesota.

Aria CV

Series B in 2020
Aria CV was founded in 2010 by Drs. John Scandurra and Karl Vollmers, formerly Fellows at the University of Minnesota’s Medical Devices Center. Aria has an exclusive license to certain patents from the University of Minnesota. Aria CV’s device has the potential to improve outcomes by reducing the workload on the right side of the heart.

StemoniX

Series B in 2019
StemoniX Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in stem cell technologies to enhance drug discovery and personalized medicine. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with an additional office in La Jolla, California, StemoniX provides innovative platforms for pharmaceutical and research institutions. Its flagship solution focuses on the three-dimensional printing of stem-cell-derived human tissue, enabling the creation of living cells in larger formats. This technology is particularly beneficial for studying various diseases, including heart disease, dementia, breast cancer, autism, and ALS. By advancing the production and application of stem cell technologies, StemoniX aims to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare sector.

Atavium

Series A in 2017
Atavium, Inc. is a data management company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, founded in 2015. It specializes in designing and developing a platform that organizes, automates, manages, and stores unstructured data sets, whether they reside in data centers or the cloud. The company's innovative system enables customers to automate the data lifecycle, even before data creation, addressing the growing challenges associated with unstructured data. The leadership team at Atavium comprises experienced professionals from the storage and networking sectors, with a proven track record of delivering impactful solutions that have been acquired by major technology firms. As of April 2020, Atavium operates as a subsidiary of Quantum Corporation.

StemoniX

Seed Round in 2016
StemoniX Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in stem cell technologies to enhance drug discovery and personalized medicine. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with an additional office in La Jolla, California, StemoniX provides innovative platforms for pharmaceutical and research institutions. Its flagship solution focuses on the three-dimensional printing of stem-cell-derived human tissue, enabling the creation of living cells in larger formats. This technology is particularly beneficial for studying various diseases, including heart disease, dementia, breast cancer, autism, and ALS. By advancing the production and application of stem cell technologies, StemoniX aims to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare sector.

Bite Squad

Series A in 2015
In 2012, entrepreneurs Kian Salehi and Arash Allaei saw a need in their hometown community of Minneapolis for an easy, fast and affordable way to order delivery from all the wonderful restaurants in town. With years of restaurant experience under their belts, the pair decided to do something about it and Bite Squad was born. Bite Squad was created to be the last place you’ll ever have to go online to order cuisine for delivery or takeout. The company now partners with over 10,000 local restaurants in more than 400 cities nationwide, and employees over 5,000 drivers to deliver fresh food from the restaurant straight to the customer’s door—quickly and hassle-free!

Gravia

Series B in 2015
Gravie, Inc. operates a health insurance platform that facilitates the comparison and purchase of health insurance plans for individuals, families, and employers. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the company provides a comprehensive solution for managing health insurance expenses through its mobile application and website. Gravie allows users to shop for insurance options available on government-run exchanges and directly from insurance companies. The platform also offers tools for employers to design custom benefits plans using a defined contribution approach, enabling them to set a fixed budget for employee health benefits. Additionally, Gravie provides year-round support, financial analysis, and services such as Gravie Care, which assists individuals in managing their healthcare expenses effectively.

FlipGrid

Series A in 2015
Vidku, a Minneapolis company born out of the the University of Minnesota, enables active, social learning in classrooms and enterprises around the world. Flipgrid, Vidku’s education technology platform, is a stimulus-driven video discussion and communication environment used in more than 40,000 classrooms, organizations, and enterprises across 115 countries on six continents.

HomeSpotter

Seed Round in 2015
HomeSpotter, LLC is a real estate technology company that develops mobile applications and web solutions aimed at providing real estate information and tools for agents, brokers, and multiple listing services across North America. Founded in 2009 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, HomeSpotter offers a mobile platform that enables over 250,000 agents to access property listings and communicate effectively with clients through built-in chat features. The platform utilizes real-time data from multiple listing services to help agents create and manage targeted advertising campaigns on social media, enhancing their marketing efforts. HomeSpotter was previously known as MobileRealtyApps.com, LLC before rebranding in January 2015.

Celcuity

Series A in 2014
Celcuity Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on identifying cancer sub-types and therapeutic options for patients in the United States. Utilizing its CELsignia diagnostic platform, the company analyzes a patient’s living tumor cells to determine the specific abnormal cellular processes driving their cancer and the corresponding targeted therapies. Celcuity is developing the CELsignia HSF test to diagnose two new sub-types of HER2-negative breast cancer and is also working on the CELsignia MP test, which aims to identify 11 cancer sub-types across various cancers, including breast, lung, colon, ovarian, kidney, and bladder cancers. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Celcuity seeks to enhance treatment options and improve patient care in oncology.

HomeSpotter

Seed Round in 2013
HomeSpotter, LLC is a real estate technology company that develops mobile applications and web solutions aimed at providing real estate information and tools for agents, brokers, and multiple listing services across North America. Founded in 2009 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, HomeSpotter offers a mobile platform that enables over 250,000 agents to access property listings and communicate effectively with clients through built-in chat features. The platform utilizes real-time data from multiple listing services to help agents create and manage targeted advertising campaigns on social media, enhancing their marketing efforts. HomeSpotter was previously known as MobileRealtyApps.com, LLC before rebranding in January 2015.

Miromatrix Medical

Venture Round in 2012
Miromatrix Medical is a biotechnology company engaged in the development of fully biological human organs and organ-derived biological products to solve the chronic shortage of transplantable organs, utilizing its patented perfusion decellularization or recellularization technology, as well as organ-derived biological products for applications such as soft tissue reinforcement and advanced wound care. It was founded in 2009 and is based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Disc Dynamics

Series E in 2004
Disc Dynamics is a healthcare company. They design and develop medical products. The Company offers surgical alternatives for the treatment of lower back problems and disc diseases. It offers DASCOR Disc arthroplasty system, a catheter-based minimally invasive nucleus replacement technology for the treatment of degenerated lumbar discs. Disc Dynamics was founded by Jeffrey Felt in 2000 and is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Prolatus

Series C in 2001
Prolatus licenses software that allows customers to send large graphic files through regular telephone lines. The company targets pre-press, printing and content provider companies as its customers. See complete list.