Samay is a developer of an innovative AI-enabled wearable device focused on remote respiratory health management. The company addresses the growing need for effective chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnostics and management, projected to incur significant healthcare costs in the coming years. Their patented chest patches provide passive monitoring of lung function, achieving 90% accuracy in COPD diagnosis and 83% accuracy in detecting exacerbation biomarkers. The device continuously tracks vital respiratory metrics, including pulmonary volumes, heart rates, and breathing sounds for two weeks, offering users valuable insights to optimize their respiratory health. Additionally, Samay is creating an AI-assisted management platform that supports patients and healthcare providers throughout the care continuum, enhancing personalized care from the comfort of home.
FibriCheck
Non Equity Assistance in 2024
FibriCheck is a medically certified application designed for the screening and monitoring of irregular heart rhythms, including atrial fibrillation. Functioning as a software-only solution, it allows users to measure their cardiac rhythm simply by placing a finger on their smartphone camera, making it accessible for use anytime and anywhere. The application automatically shares the collected data with medical professionals, facilitating quicker diagnoses and the development of appropriate treatment plans. Additionally, FibriCheck employs an artificial intelligence platform that is device-agnostic, enabling it to leverage everyday smartphones and wearables. This innovative approach aims to enhance cardiovascular care by accurately detecting and tracking heart rhythm issues, while also helping individuals manage conditions such as high blood pressure and heart failure through user-friendly tools and customizable health plans.
Samay
Non Equity Assistance in 2024
Samay is a developer of an innovative AI-enabled wearable device focused on remote respiratory health management. The company addresses the growing need for effective chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnostics and management, projected to incur significant healthcare costs in the coming years. Their patented chest patches provide passive monitoring of lung function, achieving 90% accuracy in COPD diagnosis and 83% accuracy in detecting exacerbation biomarkers. The device continuously tracks vital respiratory metrics, including pulmonary volumes, heart rates, and breathing sounds for two weeks, offering users valuable insights to optimize their respiratory health. Additionally, Samay is creating an AI-assisted management platform that supports patients and healthcare providers throughout the care continuum, enhancing personalized care from the comfort of home.
IFPx is a company focused on developing innovative monitoring technology for patients with chronic illnesses, beginning with heart failure. The company has created a patient monitoring device that directly analyzes fluid buildup, which is crucial for managing such conditions. By utilizing interstitial fluid pressure sensors, IFPx aims to enhance the monitoring capabilities available to healthcare professionals, thereby improving patient outcomes in heart failure management. The company's technology represents a significant advancement in the approach to chronic illness treatment, emphasizing the importance of real-time data in patient care.
3EO Health
Non Equity Assistance in 2023
3EO Health is dedicated to creating a society where individuals are empowered to enhance their health across various aspects of life, including patient care, community engagement, and personal well-being. The company develops innovative molecular point-of-care platforms that utilize advanced technology to significantly reduce costs while improving access to impactful diagnostic tools. By leveraging its proprietary 3TR technology, 3EO Health offers molecular performance that is more affordable than existing options, ensuring equitable access to high-quality health solutions for both physicians and consumers. Its mission extends beyond traditional healthcare settings, aiming to integrate health optimization into communities, workplaces, and homes, thus fostering an environment where individuals can thrive.
NXgenPort
Non Equity Assistance in 2023
NXgenPort Inc is focused on enhancing cancer care through its innovative digital health technology, which includes an implanted Smart Port for remote patient monitoring between chemotherapy sessions. This technology allows for real-time measurement of cell counts and heart function, enabling early detection of infections and potentially reducing hospitalizations. By gathering critical physiological data, NXgenPort aims to improve patient outcomes while also providing valuable insights for cancer researchers and drug delivery stakeholders. Their system facilitates the remote monitoring of patients' biological responses to treatments, thereby supporting healthcare teams in effectively managing cancer care.
Proton Intelligence
Non Equity Assistance in 2023
Proton Intelligence, founded in 2020 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, specializes in biomarker monitoring to manage chronic diseases and enhance patient outcomes. The company focuses on continuous potassium monitoring, particularly for patients suffering from hyperkalemia associated with chronic kidney disease and other co-morbidities. Proton Intelligence's innovative platform provides accurate and real-time potassium measurements through interstitial fluid analysis, which correlates closely with blood levels. This capability is critical for enabling timely and informed decision-making regarding patient care, allowing clinicians and patients to effectively manage medications, dietary choices, and treatment options. By prioritizing precise monitoring, Proton Intelligence aims to significantly improve the health and lives of individuals affected by hyperkalemia.
SafeGuard Surgical
Non Equity Assistance in 2023
SafeGuard Surgical is a medical device company focused on improving surgical outcomes and patient safety. It develops innovative, resorbable products designed to enhance colonic anastomotic healing and stability during advanced surgical procedures. These include a resorbable intraluminal stent graft and an extraluminal resorbable graft, along with anvil cap extension arms. By employing these products, SafeGuard aims to reduce surgical complications, lower healthcare costs, and minimize patient recovery time, ultimately preventing mortality and morbidity associated with surgery.
Hertility Health
Non Equity Assistance in 2023
Hertility Health is a women’s health company focused on reproductive and hormonal health. Established by women for women, it aims to transform reproductive healthcare through innovative diagnostic testing that offers insights into reproductive health, fertility decline, and menopause onset. Hertility provides community-based home testing, expert advice, and educational resources, allowing women to understand their reproductive biology and symptoms effectively. The company emphasizes data-driven approaches, enabling users to visualize their biological clock and access actionable health pathways from the comfort of their homes.
Phagenesis
Non Equity Assistance in 2022
Phagenesis Limited is a medical device company based in Manchester, United Kingdom, founded in 2007. It focuses on developing innovative technology to treat dysphagia, a condition often associated with stroke and brain injuries that impairs safe swallowing. The company's flagship product, Phagenyx, consists of a base station that delivers targeted electrical stimulations to patients while recording and storing their information, and a catheter that is introduced through the nose to stimulate the pharynx. This approach leverages the brain’s neuroplasticity, enabling patients to relearn essential swallowing functions that may have been lost due to brain damage. Phagenesis aims to improve the recovery process for stroke patients in acute care settings by utilizing a method developed by Prof. Shaheen Hamdy of the University of Manchester, which has been validated through publication in reputable scientific and medical journals.
Augment Health
Non Equity Assistance in 2022
Augment Health is a company focused on developing noninvasive medical devices and artificial intelligence algorithms to enhance the management of bladder dysfunction, particularly for the 7 million patients affected by neurologic disease or injury. The company's innovative technology allows for monitoring urine levels through a device that can be attached to catheters, providing timely notifications to users or care providers when the catheter reaches capacity. This approach aims to shift bladder diagnostics from clinical settings to patients' homes, addressing the high rate of inconclusive test results associated with traditional in-clinic diagnostics. By enabling better bladder health management, Augment Health seeks to prevent complications such as bladder muscle atrophy, ultimately improving the quality of life for patients.
52 North
Non Equity Assistance in 2022
52 North Health is a medical technology company focused on enhancing healthcare outcomes for cancer patients. It specializes in an AI-driven, portable finger prick blood test that measures neutrophil count and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at home. This enables early detection of neutropenic sepsis risk during chemotherapy, improving patient safety and quality of life. The device facilitates timely management of the condition, offering a reliable and cost-effective solution for both patients and healthcare providers.
CardiaCare
Non Equity Assistance in 2022
CardiaCare is a developer of a wearable medical device aimed at the non-invasive treatment and monitoring of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in patients. The company's innovative device employs a closed-loop approach combined with machine learning algorithms to deliver personalized peripheral neuromodulation. This technology mediates a cardiovascular antiarrhythmic response, enabling users to effectively reduce the burden of atrial fibrillation and its precursors, such as premature atrial contractions. As a result, CardiaCare’s solution offers users rapid clinical and symptomatic relief, providing a valuable tool for managing their condition in a home setting.
LiveMetric
Non Equity Assistance in 2022
LiveMetric is a medical device company focused on developing innovative, non-invasive sensing and deep data analytics solutions aimed at improving the management of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The company offers a wearable, cuff-free device for blood pressure monitoring that is FDA-cleared and validated for accuracy against traditional arterial line methods. This technology provides high-fidelity arterial pressure waveforms and continuous tracking of vital signs, allowing for real-time feedback and analysis for patients, physicians, and healthcare providers. By delivering personalized data and detailed activity mapping, LiveMetric aims to empower individuals, payors, self-insured employers, and healthcare providers, ultimately enhancing the care and quality of life for over one billion people worldwide affected by these conditions.
CARI Health
Non Equity Assistance in 2022
CARI Health is a digital health company based in San Diego, California, that specializes in developing remote medication monitors. Founded in 2015 and incorporated in 2021, CARI Health's innovative monitors utilize wireless sensors worn on the patient's skin to continuously transmit real-time data about medication levels to the cloud. This technology enables clinicians to safely prescribe, dose, and monitor adherence to life-saving medications, thereby enhancing patient care and treatment outcomes.
PyrAmes
Seed Round in 2020
PyrAmes is a healthcare technology company that has created an innovative, paper-thin, flexible device for non-invasive blood pressure monitoring. This ultra low-power device is designed to deliver continuous and accurate blood pressure measurements wirelessly, making it suitable for patients of all ages, from newborns to seniors. PyrAmes aims to transform healthcare delivery by providing a platform that enables healthcare providers to conduct pain-free blood pressure monitoring, particularly benefiting vulnerable populations such as neonates.
Bone Health Technologies
Seed Round in 2019
Bone Health Technologies, Inc. is a health technology company based in Redwood City, California, focused on developing innovative solutions for individuals with low bone density. Incorporated in 2018, the company has created OsteoBoost, a wearable medical device that provides a non-invasive treatment to prevent osteoporosis. This FDA-cleared device is designed to be worn on the lower back and utilizes whole-body vibration technology to deliver mechanical stimulation to the hips and spine, mimicking the effects of weight-bearing exercise. Clinical studies have demonstrated OsteoBoost's efficacy in significantly slowing down the loss of bone density and strength, particularly in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. By offering a convenient, pain-free alternative to pharmacological treatments, Bone Health Technologies aims to improve health outcomes for the approximately 64 million Americans at risk of osteoporotic fractures.
Respirix
Seed Round in 2019
Respirix, Inc. is a United States-based company focused on developing advanced analysis sensors for monitoring breath exhalation and cardiogenic oscillations. The company offers digital health software and hardware designed to provide proprietary insights into the pulmonary vasculature in a non-invasive manner. Respirix's product pipeline targets both at-home monitoring and critical care applications, specifically in areas such as heart failure and hemodynamics. Its innovative approach aims to enhance patient care by delivering precise and actionable data related to respiratory and cardiovascular health.
Koya Medical
Seed Round in 2019
Koya Medical, Inc. is a healthcare company based in Oakland, California, founded in 2018. The company specializes in developing innovative wearable therapeutic devices aimed at treating cancer-related chronic lymphedema and various venous diseases. Koya Medical's technology offers active compression therapy that enhances mobility and personalized care, addressing limitations commonly associated with traditional compression methods. Its sensor-based closed-loop system provides patient-specific patterned compression, enabling healthcare providers to effectively manage conditions like chronic edema and chronic venous insufficiency. Through its breakthrough treatments, Koya Medical seeks to transform the standard of care for individuals affected by these debilitating conditions.
Sana Health
Seed Round in 2018
Sana Health, Inc. is a digital health company based in Lafayette, Colorado, with an additional office in Mill Valley, California. Founded in 2015, the company specializes in developing bio-therapeutic devices designed to promote relaxation and alleviate pain and tension. Its flagship product, Sana, is a non-addictive mask and headphone combination that utilizes audiovisual stimulation to enhance the balance between the left and right sides of the brain, facilitating a deep meditative state. This device employs coordinated pulses of light and sound to guide users into relaxation, mimicking the benefits of long-term meditation practices. Sana Health is also engaged in multiple clinical studies, focusing on applications for conditions such as fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain, as well as trials related to anxiety and PTSD. The company offers its products for sale online and provides a mobile application accessible via major app platforms.
Tasso, Inc., established in 2012 and based in Seattle, Washington, specializes in manufacturing clinical-grade, at-home blood sample collection devices. Their innovative product allows patients to conveniently and painlessly collect their own blood at home using a simple, push-button mechanism, and then mail the samples to a qualified lab for analysis. This approach aims to enhance accessibility and comfort in blood-based diagnostics, reducing the need for clinic visits.
Spire Health
Seed Round in 2018
Spire Health, established in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in developing health-tracking devices and remote patient monitoring solutions. The company's core product is a wearable device that senses physical movement, position, and breathing patterns, providing insights into daily activities and mental state through a mobile application. Spire Health focuses on chronic respiratory disease management, offering solutions for conditions such as COPD, congestive heart failure, asthma, and sleep disorders. Their mission is to empower patients and physicians with useful, actionable data by harnessing the power of algorithms and sensors, thereby improving health outcomes.
Enspectra Health
Grant in 2017
Enspectra Health, based in Mountain View, California, develops advanced imaging systems for medical research and diagnosis. Founded in 2012, the company has pioneered the world's first handheld multiphoton imager for human use, capable of visualizing beneath the skin in real-time. Its innovative system combines reflectance confocal and multiphoton laser scanning microscopy to generate multispectral images, enhancing dermatologists' ability to diagnose and treat skin conditions, particularly cancers. Enspectra Health delivers these imaging systems to researchers studying various tissues and has a track record of delivering such systems since its inception.
Patientory Inc., established in 2015 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, specializes in developing a personal healthcare solution named Patientory. This platform enables individuals to securely manage their medical records, monitor chronic illnesses, and access relevant health information. Simultaneously, it facilitates healthcare providers' connection with patients for support and care coordination. By empowering users to control their health data and incentivizing healthier lifestyles through personalized rewards, Patientory aims to streamline interactions between healthcare stakeholders and patients while reducing care costs.
Spry Health, based in Palo Alto, California, develops digital health solutions aimed at improving care for chronically ill patients. The company offers a clinical-grade wearable device and a disease management platform that provides real-time analytics to healthcare payers. This technology helps manage patient conditions remotely, avoid preventable hospitalizations, and reduce overall healthcare spending by focusing on the small percentage of patients who account for a significant portion of health costs. Spry Health's solutions enhance timely care delivery through individualized analytics, ultimately improving patient outcomes and decreasing hospitalization rates. The company was incorporated in 2013.
SilverCloud Health
Grant in 2016
SilverCloud Health, established in 2011, is a digital health company that develops and provides online therapeutic solutions via tailored clinical programs. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with offices in Dublin, Ireland, and London, UK, the company's SilverCloud platform offers evidence-based, supported digital therapies to various healthcare sectors. It aims to increase client/patient engagement and reduce program dropout rates, as demonstrated by a three-fold improvement in these metrics compared to leading online therapeutic products.
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Vixiar Medical, established in 2013 and headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, specializes in developing non-invasive, cost-effective devices and systems for monitoring cardiopulmonary diseases. Its flagship product, Indicor, is a handheld point-of-care device and digital platform designed to monitor and manage worsening heart failure. Vixiar's devices aim to enhance clinical workflow and deliver economic value to the healthcare system by enabling monitoring in various settings, including homes, offices, nursing homes, and hospitals.
uBiome, Inc. was a microbial genomics company based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2012. It specialized in sequencing-based clinical microbiome tests, offering products such as SmartGut, a test for identifying pathogenic and commensal microorganisms related to infections, and SmartJane, a women's health screening test that detects various conditions including HPV and STIs. The company also provided Explorer kits for citizen scientists and researchers, as well as SmartFlu, a clinical respiratory test. By leveraging precision sequencing combined with machine learning and artificial intelligence, uBiome aimed to enhance the understanding of the human microbiome, enabling healthcare providers to deliver more accurate diagnoses and empowering patients to manage their health more effectively. However, uBiome faced financial difficulties and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2019, which was later converted to Chapter 7 on October 11, 2019.
HeadSense Medical
Grant in 2014
HeadSense Medical Ltd. is an early-stage company based in Netanya, Israel, focused on developing non-invasive diagnostic devices for brain health. Founded in 2011, the company has created a validated intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor that has received CE Mark approval. This innovative device is utilized in various medical fields, including neurosurgery, neurology, emergency medicine, and critical care, providing physicians with essential tools to diagnose and monitor crucial clinical parameters. In addition to its ICP monitor, HeadSense is actively working on expanding its platform to include applications for diagnosing cerebral vasospasm, assessing concussion severity, and quantifying traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Aluna is a healthcare company based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2013, that specializes in developing a portable spirometry device aimed at improving the management of asthma. The company's innovative solution combines a spirometer with an interactive mobile application, allowing patients to monitor their asthma symptoms effectively. Through daily measurements and the use of machine learning, Aluna empowers patients and their parents to understand their respiratory conditions better and take control of their lung health. The platform provides real-time data that can be shared with healthcare providers, enabling early detection of asthma attacks and informed decision-making regarding personalized treatment plans. Aluna aims to enhance the quality of life for individuals with chronic respiratory conditions through its advanced technology and data-driven insights.
Clear Ear Inc. is a privately held medical device company based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2011 through the Stanford Biodesign Program. The company specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling innovative ear cleaning solutions, including the Oto-Tip, which targets the primary cause of hearing loss and hearing-aid failure: ear wax impaction. Clear Ear's product line, known as Total Ear Care (TEC), aims to enhance access to ear care for the 47 million Americans and over 350 million people globally affected by this issue. In addition to its main products, Clear Ear also offers replacement kits, bundles, refill packs, and water-resistant headphones, all available for purchase online.
Silver Medical
Grant in 2013
Silver Medical focuses on enhancing sports safety through innovative medical technology aimed at detecting concussions. The company has developed a patented system that requires only a small drop of blood, similar to a glucose monitoring device used by diabetics. This technology analyzes the blood sample for fluctuations in a specific biomarker that rises quickly following a brain injury. By delivering real-time results, Silver Medical empowers coaches, players, and medical staff to make prompt and informed decisions regarding an athlete's ability to safely return to play after a suspected concussion.