Scrappy, Strategic, and Starting Million-Dollar Conversations: The Sonavex Story

September 30, 2021June 15, 2022 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Rory McCann, Marketing Manager & Conference Producer, LSN

Sonavex makes ultrasound accessible for non-sonographers through its technologies designed to improve imaging and detect issues. Their work is meant to create better clinician experience and better patient outcomes. In a conversation with Sonavex CEO, David Narrow, it’s clear that there’s so much more that goes into early-stage success than a great idea. It takes strategy and understanding how to use the tools available to you. One such tool Sonavex has used is the Redefining Early Stage Investment (RESI) conference series. Check out a recent interview to learn more about the Sonavex story and how the team made RESI work for them.

RESI Partnering Week, November 16-18 registration is open! Sign up today and save $200 on super early bird rates.

Registration for RESI Partnering Week November is Open!

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Claire Jeong, Chief Conference Officer, Vice President of Investor Research, Asia BD, LSN

Thanks to the support and enthusiasm from the RESI community, another week of early-stage life science and healthcare partnering and innovation is in the books! We are excited to announce our last event of the year, RESI Partnering Week November, which will be a robust 3-day partnering conference, November 16-18.

Registration is now open featuring Super Early Bird rates until Friday, October 8. Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC) applications are also open, giving companies a platform to present their technology to hundreds of RESI attendees. If your early-stage company is fundraising, you do not want to miss out on these discounted rates and unique presentation opportunities.

Looking for more ways to get involved? Check out sponsorship offerings and learn more about how you can boost your exposure to the RESI network and optimize your experience and connections!

RESI Longevity Innovator’s Pitch Challenge Winners

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Caitlin Dolegowski, Marketing Specialist, LSN

Last week, early-stage companies with a focus on conditions of aging were given the opportunity to pitch live at the digital RESI Longevity conference to relevant investor judges and industry experts as part of the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC). We were thrilled to host 15 pitching companies! The companies were divided into three pitching sessions – Medical Devices, Diagnostics & Therapeutics, and Digital Health. Congratulations to our RESI Longevity Innovator’s Pitch Challenge Winners! As the companies with the most votes, each will receive complimentary tickets to future RESI conferences to continue their fundraising efforts. Thank you to all our IPC finalists for providing great pitches and to our judges who came prepared with excellent questions. We look forward to future opportunities to highlight early-stage companies and gain valuable insight into what investors are considering.

Session 1 (Medical Devices) Winner

Alertgy

Alertgy has developed DeepGluco, a wearable noninvasive continuous glucose monitor and alert system which captures the dielectric spectrum of a user that can be used to measure glucose and other important compounds in the body. This will allow people a means to prevent becoming diabetic and increase their life span even with diabetes by giving them a means to better manage their lifestyle through instantaneous biometric feedback.

Session 2 (Diagnostics & Therapeutics) Winner

Praetego

Praetego is biopharma company developing first-in-class Advanced Glycation End-product (AGE) inhibitors able to deter AGE formation at the initiation of pathology. Through this novel and proprietary small molecule technology, Praetego’s candidates are designed to slow or prevent diseases driven by oxidative stress. This includes the highly burdensome diseases of Neurodegeneration/Alzheimer’s, Diabetic Microvascular Disease, and Cardiovascular Disease.

Praetego’s AGE inhibitor platform technology applies to the chronic conditions of aging.
Praetego’s management team are drivers of successful drug development programs across therapeutic areas and regulatory pathways. The scientific leadership has spent 3 decades studying AGE inhibitors. A robust and growing patent estate protects this proprietary technology. Praetego is raising capital to reach clinical trials in 2022.

Session 3 (Digital Health) Winner

Embrace Prevention Care

We provide Personal Prevention Care to older adults with heart failure and other chronic conditions to improve health and reduce preventable hospital stays. We extend physicians’ reach into the home to help patients and caregivers take actions that achieve the goals that matter most while reducing the cost of care.

Our local nurse practitioners have weekly telehealth interactions with patients and build trusting relationships to help them take daily actions to implement care plans developed with their physicians. Our geriatric pharmacy ensures patients take the right meds with monthly deliveries in dose-time adherence packages. We empower caregivers to effectively help patients achieve their goals and coordinate actions with the entire care team. Our personalized, integrated care is reimbursed by Medicare.

Interested in joining the RESI November IPC? Apply today and save on super early bird rates! Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so get started today!

RESI AI Innovator’s Pitch Challenge Winners

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Rory McCann, Marketing Manager & Conference Producer, LSN

Last week’s digital RESI AI conference connected early-stage AI startups with the investors, service providers, and strategic partners founders are looking for. The conference featured insightful panels, educational workshops, fit-focused partnering, and opportunities for fundraising entrepreneurs to pitch directly to a panel of investors, such as the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC).

Innovator’s Pitch Challenge winners were selected by attendees for the best pitch. Each company submitted marketing materials and a pitch video to their dedicated webpage, available to view by all attendees and judges. The live session included elevator pitches and time for Q&A with the judges and audience.

Congratulations to our IPC winners! Click the logos to learn more about each company:

Session 1 (Devices and Therapeutics) Winner

NeoPrediX

NeoPrediX develops decision support tools with maternal, neonatal and perinatal screening platforms to evaluate, optimize and personalize medical strategies in pediatrics. We utilize intelligent algorithms and digital health solutions for neonatal and perinatal care based on deep medical data and science, developed by experienced scientists, pediatricians, and neonatologists.

Session 2 (R&D/Manufacturing Services and Digital Health) Winner

SingularityAI

SingularityAI builds an AI-driven medical image and data analytics platform of cloud software and smart devices with data privacy preserving technologies, to make AI-driven insights a broad reality for medical innovation.

Interested in joining the RESI November IPC? Apply today and save on super early bird rates! Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so get started today!

Hot AI Mandate: US-based VC Invests in Software-based Companies with AI/ML Components in All Sectors

September 21, 2021 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

A venture capital firm based in Denver, Colorado and Dallas, Texas invests in companies of all sectors that have some AI/ML component. Within healthcare, the firm invests in revenue-generating companies. The firm will not invest in any company that requires FDA approval. The firm is currently investing out of their second $30M, with a third, $100M, to come soon. The firm invests primarily in the US, but reserves about 30% of their fund for investments in India. The firm invests in Series A and later companies, and will invest $0.5-2M per company.

The firm does not invest in therapeutics or medical devices, anything that requires FDA approval. The firm primarily invests in software-based companies, as long as the technology has an AI/ML component. This could include enterprise software, diagnostic image analysis or drug discovery platforms, as long as the therapeutics are then out-licensed, and not developed in house.

The firm can lead or co-invest, and will take a board or observer seat for larger check sizes. The firm is an active investor, and looks for management teams that are open to suggestion and are willing to benefit from the expertise of the firm and their network. The firm looks for companies that have at least $1M in ARR.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email RESI@lifesciencenation.com.

Hot AI Mandate: US & China-based PE with Multiple Funds Invests in Healthcare Companies of All Stages

September 21, 2021 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

Founded in 1996 and has offices in Palo Alto, CA, Shanghai, Beijing, Hongkong, Taipei, a PE firm is currently making investments from its three funds to healthcare companies of different stages, including pre-revenue, early-stage companies, post-revenue private companies and public companies. The firm invests exclusively in the healthcare sector; the firm invests primarily in the USA and Greater China but will also invest in other regions such as Europe and ASEAN countries. Within China, the firm makes growth investments in companies but also find some companies with interesting and innovative products in recent years there; in the USA and other regions, the firm makes both venture and growth-equity stage investments in both pre-revenue and revenue-stage companies. The firm’s allocations are highly varied. From the main fund, investments typically range from $20-50m, though larger investments are of interest as well; the innovation fund makes investments of typically $5-20 million. The firm is open to syndication. The firm is also particularly interested in working with companies that are open to or actively interested in seeking partnerships or opportunities in China.

The firm invests in therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, healthcare services, and clinically-oriented healthcare IT, and will consider investing in any indication area or technology subsector; however, orphan indications, dermatology/aesthetics, oncology, gene therapy, cell therapy, are of particular interest in the biopharma space; general surgery, neurovascular, cardiovascular, minimally invasive technologies, women’s health, respiratory care, novel diagnostics and orthopedics are of particular interest in the device space. Healthcare AI is an area that the firm is interested and exploring. The firm’s innovation fund focuses on early-stage opportunities in biotech; from the main fund, the firm in most cases makes investments in products that have obtained market approval or are very close to commercialization, but earlier investments may be considered for highly innovative products or products that can demonstrate strong efficacy signals at an earlier stage (such as anti-infectives). For devices and diagnostics, the firm only invests in commercial-stage companies. Generally, the firm does not invest in imaging.

The firm is flexible regarding management teams and works with both serial entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs who lack industry experience. In addition to investing in private companies, the firm is able to invest in public companies by means of PIPEs or public market placements. The firm is interested in investing in companies with products that can demonstrate cost-effectiveness.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email RESI@lifesciencenation.com.

Hot AI Mandate: Venture Arm of Australia-based Infection Prevention Company Makes Strategic Investments into Digital Health, Diagnostics and Medical Devices

September 21, 2021 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

The corporate venture arm of an Australian-based company specializing in infection prevention technology, primarily in the hospital setting is interested in strategic investments and acquisitions, spanning benchtop proof of concept to businesses selling products into the market. Within the area of infection prevention and control, the firm will consider digital health, diagnostics and medical device technologies that relate to infection, but will not invest in pharmaceutical therapeutics. Investments can range from less than $1M, up to enterprise scale acquisitions. The firm will invest globally.

The firm has a focus on digital health, diagnostics and medical device technologies that address infection prevention and control, with a focus on healthcare-acquired infection.

The firm will only make strategic investments that align with the corporate’s core business. The firm is an active investor, and will typically take a board seat after investing.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email RESI@lifesciencenation.com.