Pura Vida Investments

Pura Vida Investments is a fundamentally driven, market neutral healthcare-focused investment vehicle. The objective of the firm is to identify and capitalize on structural changes in the healthcare landscape and on inflections in company specific valuations. The firm strives to look past day-to-day volatility and to hone in on major value shifts over the medium to longer term. The firm’s portfolio is managed by Efrem Kamen and Doron Junger MD and is run in a market neutral fashion, investing across most areas of healthcare, including medical devices, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, tools, life sciences and healthcare services. The Fund has an optional 10% allocation to designated investments, allowing participation in private and certain illiquid public securities, which is managed by Frank Litvack MD.

Efrem Kamen

Managing Partner

Alyssa Romano

CFO and Chief Compliance Officer

34 past transactions

Ultivue

Series D in 2021
Ultivue is a biotechnology company that specializes in tissue imaging, diagnostics, and multiplexing. Ultivue produces reagents that enable researchers to obtain microscopic images at an unprecedented resolution that helps to understand of biology and medicine. Ultivue's products are designed for fluorescent microscopy-based research and will eventually be valuable for clinical diagnostic use. It was founded in 2015 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Acutus Medical

Series D in 2019
Acutus Medical develops medical technologies to treat complex cardiac arrhythmia. The company's platform displays the heart’s true activation pattern, turning the chaos of a complex arrhythmia into a clear vision for electrophysiologists. Acutus Medical is a privately funded company founded in 2011 and based in Carlsbad, California. Its products are co-developed in the U.S. and Europe with an exceptional team of medical scientists, biomedical engineers, and other professionals. It was founded in 2011 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California.

MedAvail

Series C in 2014
MedAvail Holdings, Inc. operates as a technology enabled pharmacy company that embeds automated pharmacy services directly into clinics and other points of care through its proprietary technology. The company provides turnkey services through its proprietary robotic dispensing platform, the MedAvail MedCenter, and home delivery operations. It also operates SpotRx, a telehealth platform that delivers remote pharmacist consultations through an on-site dispensing kiosk, supplemented with home delivery. MedAvail Holdings, Inc. is based in Mississauga, Canada.

MedAvail

Series D in 2018
MedAvail Holdings, Inc. operates as a technology enabled pharmacy company that embeds automated pharmacy services directly into clinics and other points of care through its proprietary technology. The company provides turnkey services through its proprietary robotic dispensing platform, the MedAvail MedCenter, and home delivery operations. It also operates SpotRx, a telehealth platform that delivers remote pharmacist consultations through an on-site dispensing kiosk, supplemented with home delivery. MedAvail Holdings, Inc. is based in Mississauga, Canada.

Nalu Medical

Venture Round in 2022
Nalu Medical is an early-stage company that develops a range of medical devices. Their vision to modernize and improve the technology in medical devices, thus improving the lives of people. The Nalu neurostimulation system is a battery-free, micro-implantable pulse generator (iPG) currently cleared by the FDA for both Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) for mitigating chronic pain. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Carlsbad, California.

LUMICKS

Series D in 2021
LUMICKS delivers state of the art technologies for the study of biology and cancer at the single-molecule and single-cell level.

Caris Life Sciences

Private Equity Round in 2021
Caris Molecular Intelligence revolutionizes precision medicine to provide physicians and patients with information about their health. They develop Caris Molecular Intelligence Services that does panomic molecular profiling for oncology. Caris Life Sciences was founded with a very simple but powerful purpose – to help improve the lives of as many people as possible. Through tireless efforts, breakthrough molecular science, and a passionate commitment to quality, they remain steadfastly focused on the most important part of their work – the patient. It was founded in 1996 and is based in Irving, Texas.

MedAvail

Private Placement in 2020
MedAvail Holdings, Inc. operates as a technology enabled pharmacy company that embeds automated pharmacy services directly into clinics and other points of care through its proprietary technology. The company provides turnkey services through its proprietary robotic dispensing platform, the MedAvail MedCenter, and home delivery operations. It also operates SpotRx, a telehealth platform that delivers remote pharmacist consultations through an on-site dispensing kiosk, supplemented with home delivery. MedAvail Holdings, Inc. is based in Mississauga, Canada.

V-Wave

Private Placement in 2018
V-Wave Ltd. develops percutaneous implantable therapeutic devices for chronic heart failure patients. It offers V-Wave Shunt, a biocompatible inter-atrial unidirectional implant that is used to treat chronic heart failure patients with preserved and reduced ejection fraction (diastolic and systolic heart failure). The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Caesarea, Israel with additional offices in Israel and the United States.

Willow

Series C in 2021
Willow is a female technology company that develops an in-bra wearable breast pump. Its breast pumps are cordless and spill-proof. It also tracks milk output through a mobile application along with an online portal, enabling mothers to pump anywhere without hassle. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

NanoMosaic

Series A in 2021
NanoMosaic provides solutions for early illness detection, prognostic monitoring, and biomarker identification. Its protein interrogation powered by nanoneedles enables early disease detection, prognostic monitoring, and biomarker discovery on a single chip. .

Sensei Biotherapeutics

Series B in 2021
Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. develops precision cancer therapeutics that target a tumor-specific antigen (aspartate ß-hydroxylase). It offers various cancer immunotherapies, such as cancer vaccines and T-cell therapies for cancer patients. Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. was formerly known as Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland with an additional office in Boston, Massachusetts.

MedAvail

Private Placement in 2018
MedAvail Holdings, Inc. operates as a technology enabled pharmacy company that embeds automated pharmacy services directly into clinics and other points of care through its proprietary technology. The company provides turnkey services through its proprietary robotic dispensing platform, the MedAvail MedCenter, and home delivery operations. It also operates SpotRx, a telehealth platform that delivers remote pharmacist consultations through an on-site dispensing kiosk, supplemented with home delivery. MedAvail Holdings, Inc. is based in Mississauga, Canada.

Sensei Biotherapeutics

Series B in 2021
Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. develops precision cancer therapeutics that target a tumor-specific antigen (aspartate ß-hydroxylase). It offers various cancer immunotherapies, such as cancer vaccines and T-cell therapies for cancer patients. Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. was formerly known as Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland with an additional office in Boston, Massachusetts.

Freenome

Series D in 2021
Freenome, Inc., is an artificial intelligence (AI) genomics biotech company. The company develops and provides a medical arti?cial intelligence platform for early detection of cancer. It develops blood tests for early-cancer screening and treatment selection. The company also provides clinical research services. Freenome, Inc. was founded in 2014 and is based in South San Francisco, California.

ATAI Life Sciences

Series D in 2021
ATAI is a global biotech company builder that leverages a decentralized, technology- and data-driven platform model to serve millions of people suffering with mental health disorders. We are committed to acquiring and efficiently developing innovative treatments that address significant unmet medical needs and lead to paradigm shifts in the mental health space. By pooling expertise, best practices, and resources across our entire portfolio, we mitigate risk and responsibly accelerate the development of impactful and evidence-based therapies.

Metagenomi

Series B in 2022
Metagenomi, Inc. develops gene editing systems for the treatment of genetic diseases. The company was incorporated in 2016 and is based in Emeryville, California.

SLANG Worldwide

Post in 2021
SLANG Worldwide is a consumer-packaged-goods company that owns, licenses, and markets cannabis brands, serving the flower, concentrates, edibles, and beverage categories.

Sonendo

Post in 2022
Sonendo developing innovative technologies to transform dentistry by Saving Teeth Through Sound Science®. The GentleWave® System shows significant improvements in clinical efficacy and practice efficiency when compared to standard root canal treatment.1,2, 3 Sonendo is the parent company of TDO® Software, the developer of the most widely used endodontic practice management software in the world, designed to simplify practice workflow. TDO software seamlessly integrates practice management, imaging, social media, referral reporting, CBCT imaging, and offers built-in communication with the GentleWave System.

Beta Bionics

Series C in 2022
Beta Bionics is a biotechnology company that develops an integrated bionic pancreas system called the iLet. The iLet Bionic Pancreas System was granted breakthrough designation in all configurations (insulin-only, glucagon-only, and bihormonal), including use with Zealand Pharma’s dasiglucagon, a glucagon analog with a unique stability profile in a ready-to-use aqueous solution. It also offers a bionic pancreas device for glucose metabolism to the diabetes community. Beta Bionics was founded in 2015 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

Acutus Medical

Private Placement in 2019
Acutus Medical develops medical technologies to treat complex cardiac arrhythmia. The company's platform displays the heart’s true activation pattern, turning the chaos of a complex arrhythmia into a clear vision for electrophysiologists. Acutus Medical is a privately funded company founded in 2011 and based in Carlsbad, California. Its products are co-developed in the U.S. and Europe with an exceptional team of medical scientists, biomedical engineers, and other professionals. It was founded in 2011 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California.

Field Trip Health

Post in 2021
Field Trip Health, Inc. providing simple, evidence-based therapies for healing and heightening engagement with the world.
GreenLight Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company, develops RNA-based solutions for agriculture and pharmaceutical applications. The company provides technology for the biological conversion of renewable substrates to valuable products. It offers Unconstrained Metabolism, a technology platform that delivers solutions for the production of chemicals and fuels from renewable resources. It also engages in developing mRNA-based vaccine candidates to potentially prevent individuals from contracting SARS-CoV-2. The company also provides research and analysis services. GreenLight Biosciences, Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is based in Medford, Massachusetts. It has an additional location in North Carolina.

Lyra Therapeutics

Post in 2022
Lyra Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage therapeutics company, focuses on the development and commercialization of novel integrated drug and delivery solutions for the localized treatment of patients with ear, nose, and throat diseases. The company’s XTreo technology platform is designed to deliver medicines directly to the affected tissue for sustained periods with a single administration. Its product candidates include LYR-210 and LYR-220, which are bioresorbable polymeric matrices for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis. The company was formerly known as 480 Biomedical, Inc. and changed its name to Lyra Therapeutics, Inc. in July 2018. Lyra Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Exo

Series C in 2021
Exo is a medical device startup handheld ultrasound platform and AI for imaging and therapeutic applications. The company is committed to delivering affordable and easy-to-use medical imaging to healthcare professionals around the world. By delivering easy-to-use, high-quality medical imaging. Exo empowers healthcare professionals to make critical, real-time decisions that improve patient outcomes. The Exo ultrasound platform combines advances in nano-materials, novel sensor technologies, advanced signal processing, and computation with the economies of scale of semiconductor manufacturing to dramatically reduce the cost of imaging. It also represents a giant leap in imaging and therapeutics technology one that will drive the development of high-performance products that are accessible, easy-to-use, and available at a price point never before possible.

V-Wave

Series B in 2016
V-Wave Ltd. develops percutaneous implantable therapeutic devices for chronic heart failure patients. It offers V-Wave Shunt, a biocompatible inter-atrial unidirectional implant that is used to treat chronic heart failure patients with preserved and reduced ejection fraction (diastolic and systolic heart failure). The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Caesarea, Israel with additional offices in Israel and the United States.

ATAI Life Sciences

Series C in 2020
ATAI is a global biotech company builder that leverages a decentralized, technology- and data-driven platform model to serve millions of people suffering with mental health disorders. We are committed to acquiring and efficiently developing innovative treatments that address significant unmet medical needs and lead to paradigm shifts in the mental health space. By pooling expertise, best practices, and resources across our entire portfolio, we mitigate risk and responsibly accelerate the development of impactful and evidence-based therapies.

V-Wave

Series C in 2018
V-Wave Ltd. develops percutaneous implantable therapeutic devices for chronic heart failure patients. It offers V-Wave Shunt, a biocompatible inter-atrial unidirectional implant that is used to treat chronic heart failure patients with preserved and reduced ejection fraction (diastolic and systolic heart failure). The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Caesarea, Israel with additional offices in Israel and the United States.

Science 37

Post in 2021
Science 37 is making the promise of virtual trials the new reality. By engaging with patients from the comfort of their own home, the company provides access to patients who can never be reached by traditional site-based research models. Its virtual model has proven to enroll faster, retain patients at a higher rate, and reach a more representative patient population. Science 37 has conducted more virtual (or decentralized), interventional trials than any other company, using an expansive, in-house network of telemedicine investigators and home-health nurses. The company's research is powered by the industry’s most comprehensive, fully integrated clinical trial platform purpose-built to conduct virtual trials.

ATAI Life Sciences

Private Placement in 2020
ATAI is a global biotech company builder that leverages a decentralized, technology- and data-driven platform model to serve millions of people suffering with mental health disorders. We are committed to acquiring and efficiently developing innovative treatments that address significant unmet medical needs and lead to paradigm shifts in the mental health space. By pooling expertise, best practices, and resources across our entire portfolio, we mitigate risk and responsibly accelerate the development of impactful and evidence-based therapies.

DarioHealth

Post in 2021
DarioHealth Corp is a digital health company. It is engaged in the development and commercialization of patented and proprietary technology that provides consumers with laboratory-testing capabilities using smartphones and other mobile devices. The company's product, Dario Blood sugar monitor is a mobile, real-time, cloud-based, diabetes management solution based on a multi-featured software application combined with a blood glucose monitoring device. The group operates internationally and derives revenues from the sale of its Dario smart meter and related device-specific disposables test strip cartridges and lancets. The company generates the majority of the revenue.

V-Wave

Series C in 2020
V-Wave Ltd. develops percutaneous implantable therapeutic devices for chronic heart failure patients. It offers V-Wave Shunt, a biocompatible inter-atrial unidirectional implant that is used to treat chronic heart failure patients with preserved and reduced ejection fraction (diastolic and systolic heart failure). The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Caesarea, Israel with additional offices in Israel and the United States.

NeoGenomics

Post in 2021
NeoGenomics is a cancer reference laboratory that provides cancer testing and partnership programs to pathologists and oncologists.

Vizgen

Series B in 2021
Vizgen is a privately held biotech company developing the next generation of spatially resolved, single-cell transcriptomics technology and toolbox. The company's patented MERFISH technology enables massively multiplexed, genome-scale nucleic acid imaging with high accuracy and detection efficiency at subcellular resolution. The high throughput and resolution and the low cost per cell achieved by the technology will enable a wide range of tissue-scale basic research and development and will be instrumental to efforts to discover and map cell types and states in a range of tissues and organisms.