From 38 Finalists, RESI Boston’s Audience Selects Innovation Challenge Champions

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By Lucy Parkinson, VP of Investor Research, LSN

Yesterday’s RESI event brought together over 350 investors and over 350 startups in Boston’s Back Bay.  There were so many meetings that RESI Partnering filled to capacity.  LSN is delighted to have facilitated so many new connections, and we hope that these relationships continue to grow in the follow-up.

The RESI Innovation Challenge showcased 38 emerging startups in the biotech, medtech, diagnostics and digital health fields.  All the competitors brought novel, exciting discoveries to the technology showcase, selected by LSN’s Expert System and scientific review team.  RESI’s attendees chose the winners by using their RESI Cash tokens to cast votes for their favorite participants.  We would like to introduce you all to the 3 top placed companies, as selected by the RESI ecosystem.  Thank you, all, for taking part by casting your votes.

First Place: Zepto Life Technologies

Zepto, an in-vitro diagnostics company, features uniquely-accurate and multiplex-ready “lab-on-a-chip” technology – co-developed with the Mayo Clinic – to improve patient outcomes through superior assay performance at patients’ exact points of need (a $12B market). Zepto’s fully-automated lab-on-a-chip Immunoassay Platform can conveniently deliver “central lab-quality” performance almost anywhere. Initially, Zepto is working to equip ERs and ambulances with highly-sensitive Troponin assays, accelerating myocardial injury detection. Meanwhile, Zepto’s portable Liquid Biopsy Platform can detect 1% cancer gene mutation (eg. PIK3CA, EGFR, KRAS) and achieve unparalleled specificity of 99.9%+ in less than 2 hours. This can revolutionize the $6B tissue-based biopsy market. Zepto seeks $30M, primarily to launch the Immunoassay Platform with D-Dimer assays and complete PIK3CA-focused product development on the Liquid Biopsy Platform.

YongYong Zhang, CEO & Co-Founder, Zepto Life Technologies

 

Second Place: BOYDSense

BOYDSense, Inc. is a medical technology company providing non-invasive and affordable tools for measuring critical biomarkers via exhaled breath. Breath-based metabolomics focuses on the capture, identification, and quantification of volatile organic compound (VOC) biomarker patterns in human breath and using them to diagnose and monitor chronic diseases, such as diabetes. BOYDSense’s first commercial product, the g-Sense Breath Meter, is a hand-held breath meter that can accurately predict blood glucose values from breath VOC’s. The g-Sense meter does not need consumables, is wirelessly enabled, has a companion mobile application and a public API. The device design is lifestyle-friendly, pocket-sized, with a seamless user experience, allowing consumers to frequently measure blood glucose without the typical barriers of cost, pain, or social stigma.

Bruno Thuillier, CEO, BOYDSense

 

Third Place: Resmetrix Medical

Respiratory diseases are leading causes of death and disability in the world. More than 250 million people suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) and 300 million from Asthma worldwide. Currently, respiratory deterioration is often detected too late, leading to sever exacerbation and complications, hospitalization and huge costs. Resmetrix is developing a wearable system (based on unique proprietary sensor built into a chest strap wirelessly connected to a smartphone app), that monitors at-risk respiratory patients in real-time, 24/7, anywhere, in any setting. Resmetrix system is the only system that detects small changes in a patient’s breathing pattern and provides immediate, early warning signs of deterioration in COPD patients at home, enable early window of intervention, early treatment and avoiding hospitalization.

Carmit Levy, Ph.D., CEO, Resmetrix Medical

RESI ASIA Innovation Challenge Deadline is Oct. 11th, 2019

Israeli Startups Make a Big Impact at RESI

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By Karen Deyo, Senior Investor Research Analyst, LSN

Israel is frequently referred to as ‘The Startup Nation,’ with a lot of innovative technologies being developed in a multitude of sectors, including in healthcare. Over the past year, LSN has worked with the Israel Ministry of the Economy, the Israel Export Institute, the Israel Innovation Authority, the New England-Israel Business Council and several incubators and accelerators within Israel to bring these companies into the global RESI ecosystem.

In the 4 RESIs that have taken place so far in 2019, about 20 Israeli companies have been selected as finalists in the Innovation Challenge, with a few companies among the winners of these conferences. Yesterday, at RESI Boston, a group of these Israeli companies came to meet with the global investor attendees, including Novotalk, 1st place winner at RESI SF, PhotoPill Medical, 2nd place winner of RESI Europe, and Resmetrix, 3rd place winner yesterday. We look forward to seeing many more exciting companies from Israel at future RESIs, and hope that they will be as successful as the companies that have attended so far!

Izik Itzhakov of AEYE Health | Zohar Beeri of Novotalk | Ram Ben-Yehuda of PhotoPill Medical | Sharon Ben-Yehuda of PhotoPill Medical | Carmit Levy of Resmetrix Medical | Karen Deyo, Senior Investor Research Analyst, Life Science Nation

RESI Boston 2019 Westin Copley on September 11th – Check Out the Program Guide Now

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By Nono Hu, Director of Marketing, LSN

It’s less than a week to go until RESI Boston, and we’re excited to share the digital RESI Program Guide with you!  Inside, you can take a look at our RESI Innovtion Challenge participants, investor panelists, exhibitors, and more.  If you want to know who’s making waves in the early stage life science world, look inside this guide.

We look forward to seeing you all next Wednesday at the Westin Copley Place for this one-day partnering and entrepreneurship extravaganza, RESI Boston 2019.

Hot Investor Mandate: USA VC Firm With Over $4B AUM Invests Up to $20M in New Therapeutics, Devices, and Digital Health Opportunities

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A venture capital firm with multiple USA offices has managed over $4 billion in total assets across 11 funds and the firm focuses on making equity investments into the life science and technology spaces from seed to late venture stage. The investment size is varied, and typically it ranges from $1 million to $20 million. The firm will invest in companies primarily based in the US.An innovation arm of a global company nurtures innovative ideas developed internally and also forms external partnerships with startups in fields that are strategically relevant for the company’s business objectives. These partnerships may include co-development, in-kind services and/or early stage financial investments. The firm partners with startups based anywhere in the world.

The firm is currently looking for new opportunities in the Biotech Therapeutics, Medical Devices and Digital Health sectors. The firm will also consider Diagnostics, but that will not be its focus. For Therapeutics and Medical Devices, the firm is extremely opportunistic in terms of subsectors and indications. The firm is interested in companies targeting orphan diseases. The firm is generally looking for companies in the pre-clinical stage of development, but it also considers companies that may already have performed clinical studies, as well as companies near commercial stages dependent on the case.

The firm primarily invests in private companies, and considers pre-revenue companies. The firm doesn’t have specific requirements for company’s management team or revenue.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: Private Wealth Investment Firm Seeks Medtech and Digital Health Companies in All Areas of High Unmet Need

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A private wealth investment firm based in the USA invests globally in medically related early-stage companies. Initial size of investment largely varies depending on the deal’s stage of development and other involved investors.

The firm invests in medtech and digital health companies. While the founder has decades of experience as an oculofacial plastic surgeon, the firm is generally opportunistic and will consider any promising technologies that address unmet medical need. The firm has looked at AI companies, digital health/software companies implementable in medical practices, etc. In terms of stage of development, the firm is open to investing as early as pre-prototype, given that the company has properly researched the idea behind their technology.

The firm has no specific company or management team requirements. While the firm generally co-invests alongside a syndicate, the firm has led a financing before and is open to acting as the lead investor if the firm determines that they could add significant value.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: Global Investment Firm Invests Up to $10M in Later Stage Therapeutics and Device Companies & Earlier Stage Opportunities with Strong Clinical Data

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An investment firm with offices in USA, UK, and Asia, is actively seeking investment and partnership opportunities with therapeutics and medical device companies across the globe. Typical size of initial investment is around $5M, though the firm is capable of investing up to $10M and this is largely dependent on a case-by-case. The firm is capable of funding up to ~40% of the required amount for late stage clinical trials. The firm is also interested in-licensing partnerships and seek licensing and marketing rights on opportunities in which the firm can add significant value.

Within therapeutics and medical devices, the firm is generally sector and indication agnostic. The firm is focused on later-stage opportunities with a low risk profile, usually companies in Phase IIb and beyond. However, the firm is very keen to speaking with earlier stage opportunities that demonstrate strong clinical data and high potential to enter the global market and building a long-term relationship with these groups. In terms of medical devices, the firm will invest in near market ready products.

The firm seeks to invest in companies with experienced management teams with domain expertise, strong clinical data, and a clear exit strategy. The firm has an extensive professional network including fellow investors, high net worth individuals, clinical trial/regulatory affairs partners, etc. The firm takes a very active role in supporting their portfolio companies and provides mentorship and support on regulatory issues, market access, and effective clinical development strategies.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: Global Company with Headquarters in Japan Seeks Investment, M&A, Licensing Opportunities Within Diagnostics and Research Tools

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A global company headquartered in Japan that serves the chemical, petrochemical and bioscience markets with a thriving USA representative office, has recently started a corporate venture initiative with a $300M budget to make strategic investments into both pre and post-commercial companies. The group is flexible in terms of structuring investments and may employ equity investments, M&A and licensing agreements. The firm targets investment sizes from $100k – $5M for early stage companies and $10M-$50M for commercial-stage companies.

In terms of the healthcare and life science sectors, the firm is most interested in companies working in diagnostics and research tools. The firm is particularly interested in clinical diagnostics including IVDs and next generation platforms (NGS, liquid biopsy, LC-MS, point-of-care testing, digital PCR), separation media and connected devices and wearable medical sensors. The group is also interested in advanced materials including materials for secondary batteries, thin-film for electronic devices, separation (inorganic/organic/polymers) and composites. The firm is agnostic to indication area, but has a particular interest in cancer, metabolic (including diabetes) and kidney disorders as well as reproductive health.

The firm has no strict company or management team requirements and invest in both early and later stage opportunities. Board observer status is required along with an investment.

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