Led · Seed · Jun 2026

AquaPoro develops Atmospheric Low-humidity Moisture Adsorption (ALMA™) technology that extracts clean water from ambient air at lower energy and cost and operates below the humidity threshold of conventional systems. Its modular Stream™ systems are designed for continuous-flow, uninterrupted production and to integrate directly into manufacturing facilities, leveraging waste and ambient on-site energy to reduce grid intensity. The company builds systems ranging from residential units to industrial-scale arrays and positions itself as decentralized industrial water infrastructure. AquaPoro is preparing commercial pilot deployments and will break ground on a continuous-flow system at UC Riverside in partnership with the university’s CE-CERT. The technology has already drawn commercial interest from a national beverage manufacturer and a large multinational water treatment and sustainability leader. Kyle Cordova is the founder and CEO.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2025

Phantom Neuro develops a minimally invasive neural interface platform called Phantom X to enable intuitive control of prosthetic limbs and robotic exoskeletons. Phantom X, originally developed at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is designed to restore natural movement by making assistive devices function as seamless extensions of the body. The company reported that its ASCENT study demonstrated 94% accuracy decoding real-time gestures across 11 essential hand and wrist movements. Phantom Neuro has received FDA Breakthrough Device and TAP designations for Phantom X, which may expedite regulatory approvals. The company plans to use new funding to accelerate preclinical testing, complete first-in-human trials, pursue regulatory submissions, and expand R&D for broader control applications beyond prosthetic limbs. Phantom Neuro is headquartered in Austin, Texas and has raised $28 million in total funding to date. Phantom Neuro develops a low-power, high-accuracy system intended to provide lifelike control of robotic orthopedic technologies. The company is positioned in the neurotech sector and is based in Austin, TX. Its core product targets control interfaces for robotic orthopedics, emphasizing low power consumption and high accuracy. The article does not disclose operating metrics such as revenue or user counts. Phantom Neuro announced a $6 million expanded seed financing, which increases its total funding to $9.5 million. The funding supports the company’s continued development of its control system for robotic orthopedic applications. Phantom Neuro is a neurotechnology company based in Austin, Texas and Baltimore, Maryland that is creating a system to enable lifelike control of robotic orthopedic technologies such as prosthetic limbs and exoskeletons. Its solution combines low-risk implantable sensors, AI, and enabling software to provide control of existing and next-generation orthopedic devices. The company is led by founder and CEO Dr. Connor Glass. Phantom Neuro raised seed funding to expand its operations and business reach. The $3.26M round was led by LionBird Ventures with participation from Draper Associates, Breakout Ventures, Blackrock Neurotech, Capital Factory, and private investors. As part of the financing, LionBird partner Robert Lord will join the board and LionBird Managing Partner Ed Michael will join as a board observer.

Led · Equity · Feb 2025

EnPlusOne Biosciences develops the ezRNA™ enzymatic, template-free, aqueous RNA synthesis platform intended to enable sustainable, scalable manufacturing of RNA therapeutics. The company says its technology can incorporate a diverse array of natural and modified nucleotides and aims to address siRNA scale and gRNA purity challenges. Recent technical milestones cited include publishing foundational technology in Nature Bio and synthesizing the antisense strand of Leqvio (inclisiran). EnPlusOne notes recent commercial success, pipeline growth in RNAi, mRNA, and gene‑editing therapeutics, and an ARPA‑H collaboration valued at $27 million led by the Wyss Institute. Management states plans to scale the siRNA platform, accelerate synthesis of high‑purity guide RNA, and make several key announcements in the year ahead. The company raised additional financing to support these scale and commercialization efforts. EnPlusOne Biosciences develops an enzymatic-based RNA synthesis platform called ezRNA™ that enables incorporation of a diverse array of nucleotide modifications. The company launched as a spinout from the Wyss Institute and was founded by George Church, Daniel Wiegand, Jonathan Rittichier, and Dan Ahlstedt. EnPlusOne intends to address limitations of chemical RNA synthesis by enabling synthesis of longer oligonucleotides (greater than 100 nucleotides) and positioning the platform for large-scale GMP manufacturing. The platform is positioned to support a wide range of RNA therapeutic applications, including siRNAs, ASOs, CRISPR, and vaccines, and to provide novel nucleotide modifications in collaboration with industry partners. The company plans to use the seed financing to build out its team and scale platform capabilities. Leadership includes CEO Daniel Wiegand, CSO Jonathan Rittichier, COO Dan Ahlstedt, and a board chaired by industry veteran Steven Kasok with Northpond representatives on the board.

Led · Seed · Nov 2024

Copernic Catalysts uses computational design and high-throughput experimentation to develop transformational catalysts for sustainable e-fuels and bulk chemicals. Its first proprietary catalyst is an improved, drop-in replacement for ammonia synthesis catalysts that can operate at lower temperatures and pressures, reducing CapEx and OpEx. The company is scaling that ammonia catalyst to the kilogram scale and is working with one of the world’s largest ammonia producers to test the technology. Through an exclusive research collaboration with Schrödinger, Copernic plans to develop a second catalyst target for Fischer–Tropsch syngas-to-SAF to improve aviation carbon intensity. Founded in 2021 and based in Cambridge, Mass., the company is backed by venture investors and was the recipient of a $3.58 million ARPA-E OPEN 2021 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Led · Seed · Oct 2024

Passkey Therapeutics is developing a new class of single-drug therapies called Synergistic Multifunctional Therapeutics (SMThs) that are designed to modulate rare combinations of proteins ("Multilogs") that work together. The company uses its proprietary Locksmith computational and experimental platform to analyze large human genetic datasets and identify previously undiscovered protein combinations. SMThs can be engineered as small molecules or biologics, depending on the biology of the disease, and the company says the approach could address cancer, autoimmune, neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders. Passkey emerged from stealth with $20 million in seed funding to advance discovery and program development. The company is progressing an internal pipeline and plans to internally develop SMThs in two distinct therapeutic areas through clinical trials while exploring partnerships in additional areas. The founding team includes CEO Bruce Beutel, Ph.D., and co-leads Soumya Ray, Ph.D., and Will Chen, Ph.D.