Participated · Equity · Apr 2022

Alex Therapeutics builds prescription digital therapeutics on its "Alex DTx Platform," combining AI, evidence-based psychology (primarily CBT and ACT), and design to create personalized, indication-specific treatments. The company typically partners with pharmaceutical firms to develop and launch prescription DTx that can be prescribed by doctors and reimbursed by healthcare systems. Alex Therapeutics has treated tens of thousands of patients and has experience with clinical validation and strong patient testimonials. Strategic partnerships with Pfizer (nicotine addiction) and Vicore Pharma (anxiety in pulmonary fibrosis) are underway. The company says the new funding will enable entry into additional global partnerships and development of DTx across addiction, mental health, and chronic illness. Alex Therapeutics is a Stockholm-based digital therapeutics company that provides a platform to help pharma and life-science partners create and launch prescription digital therapeutics. The company’s platform is used to develop therapeutics across indications; its pipeline includes Eila, a nicotine addiction therapeutic developed with Pfizer that is currently in clinical trials and initially targeted at the German market. Other pipeline products include an anxiety and depression therapeutic for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a CBT-based tool for obesity, and a depression and anxiety therapeutic for breast cancer patients. The startup said it raised €3.5 million in a financing led by Hadean Ventures and will use the funds to expand growth in Europe and the U.S. and to develop new digital therapeutics with partners. Investors in the round included Scale Capital, Bonit Capital and previous investor Sweet Studio. Hadean managing partner Dr. Ingrid Teigland Akay highlighted that major markets such as Germany and the U.S. are opening up for prescription and reimbursement of digital therapies, supporting the company's expansion plans.

Participated · Seed · Apr 2019

Meru Health offers a comprehensive online mental health solution that pairs digital therapy with human clinicians and wearable biofeedback to treat both mind and body. Its program includes sleep and nutritional coaching alongside talk therapy and objective biomarker tracking. The company says its approach drives higher engagement and clinical outcomes, reporting roughly an 80% completion rate and 3–5x better results than U.S. standard of care in its trials. Meru grew its customer base 10x and saw about 700% revenue growth in 2020. It works with employers (including Stanford and several Fortune 100/500 companies), EAPs such as Wellspring, and payers including Cigna, Humana and Moda Health. The company employs about 170 people and plans to expand coverage to roughly 40 states by year’s end while continuing clinical trials and open data sharing with universities. Meru Health provides a 12-week tailored digital mental health program with weekly themes, therapist access, anonymous peer support groups, and on-demand therapist booking. The platform recently added a heart rate variability biofeedback system that uses a small ear‑clipped device to give users feedback during guided breathing practices. A study conducted with Harvard Medical School and Rutgers University researchers and published in Springer Link found that Meru’s biofeedback system significantly reduced depression symptoms. The company targets people dealing with depression, burnout, and anxiety and emphasizes rapid connection to Meru therapists. Meru has been stressing a commitment to furthering research on its product and digital mental health more broadly. It says demand has surged amid the COVID-19 crisis and that it is working with several large health insurance companies and employers to expand access. Meru Health is a Palo Alto and Helsinki-based digital clinic that offers a licensed-clinician-supported, mobile phone-based digital therapeutic program for depression and anxiety. Led by co-founder and CEO Kristian Ranta, the company delivers a 12-week program combining continuous remote clinician support, remote therapists and psychiatrists, and an anonymous peer group. The program includes at-home therapeutic lessons and practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness, and integrates sleep medicine and nutritional psychiatry. Meru Health collaborates with employers, health systems and health plans and is piloting programs with two Silicon Valley Fortune 100 companies. The company is a Y Combinator 2018 alumnus participating in the Texas Medical Center TMCx Accelerator and has a clinical trial underway with Stanford and the Veteran's Administration. Meru Health secured $4.2M in seed financing to support additional clinical validation and preparation for large-scale rollouts to health systems and large employers across several U.S. states.

Led · Series A · Apr 2019

Talentuno operates a community recruitment platform that lets users recommend acquaintances for jobs and earn commission as freelance 'MatchMakers'. Launched in September 2018 and based in Budapest, Hungary, the platform has more than 6,000 MatchMakers who have recommended nearly 7,000 candidates. The company has paid commission to more than 100 MatchMakers and reports hundreds of applications currently in progress. More than 100 companies, including Fortune 500 firms, have posted over 500 positions on the platform. Talentuno plans to use the Series A proceeds to accelerate geographic expansion—Poland is next—and to strengthen its technological and IT solutions. Management has also held initial talks with London-based investors about a potential ~€15m round to support UK expansion in 2020.