• Affectiva

  Participated · Equity · Apr 2019

  Affectiva is a pioneer of Emotion AI and a developer of Human Perception AI that leverages deep learning, computer vision, speech science and large real-world datasets to detect nuanced emotions, complex cognitive states, activities, interactions and objects. An MIT Media Lab spin-off, the company supplies Automotive AI solutions to OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, ridesharing providers, fleet managers and autonomous-vehicle developers to understand drivers' and passengers' states and moods. Its technology is also used by 25 percent of the Fortune Global 500 to test consumer engagement with ads, videos and TV programming. The company plans to use new funding to deploy Human Perception AI in production vehicles and expand in conversational interfaces, social robotics and market research. Leadership emphasizes creating safer, more comfortable in-vehicle experiences through attention management and predictive analytics integrated with vehicle computing platforms. Financially, Affectiva closed a $26 million funding round that brings total invested capital to $53 million. Affectiva develops emotion recognition technology that enables developers to create hyper-personalized experiences across industries such as gaming, advertising, healthcare and automotive. Its solutions allow adaptive games that change based on a player’s mood, clinical research applications that respond to a patient’s emotional state, and video communication platforms that optimize presentations based on audience engagement. An MIT Media Lab spin-off, the company provides its solutions to more than 1,400 brands to gather insight and analytics in consumer emotional engagement. The company raised $14M in venture capital and intends to use the funds to hire new people, continue innovating in Emotion AI, and accelerate growth into global markets. Leadership changes announced alongside the round include Nick Langeveld named Chairman of the Board and Dr. Rana el Kaliouby moving into the role of Chief Executive Officer. Founded in 2009 by Rosalind W. Picard and Rana el Kaliouby out of the MIT Media Lab, Affectiva develops facial-tracking technology to measure human emotional responses. Its core product, Affdex, is used to test and optimize ad effectiveness and is deployed by clients including WPP's Millward Brown. The company also produces a Q Sensor wearable biometric device, used by “hundreds” of universities and corporations. Affectiva is building a large repository of facial-response data from users in more than 20 countries to help content creators understand cultural differences in reactions. The company plans to use its new funding to move Affdex beyond advertising into consumer-facing applications, social environments, and games. Financially, the company has raised $12M in the announced Series C and has total funding of $20.2M alongside grants from the National Science Foundation; Mary Meeker and Frank Meehan joined its advisory/board ranks as part of the financing. Affectiva spun out of MIT’s Media Lab and builds emotion-measurement technology for ad and brand testing. Its core product, Affdex, uses webcams to track viewers’ responses to videos and can recognize complex emotions such as confusion. The company also offers a wireless biosensor called the Q Sensor. Affectiva says Affdex has been used to crowdsource readers’ responses at Forbes.com and to test Super Bowl campaigns with research agency Millward Brown. It will use a $500,000 NSF grant to continue developing Affdex and to build an "emotional norms database" to benchmark ad engagement and cross-country responses. The startup has raised venture funding, most recently a $5.7M Series B, and says its technology could eventually expand beyond ad testing to help people with autism understand facial expressions. Affectiva is a Waltham, MA company founded in 2009 by MIT scientists Rosalind W. Picard and Rana el Kaliouby and led by CEO Dave Berman. The company develops the Affdex software, which reads emotional states such as liking and attention from facial expressions using a webcam and employs computer vision, machine learning and patented methods to interpret non-verbal responses at scale. It also develops the Q Sensor, a wearable biometric sensor used by more than 100 universities and corporations to track excitement, engagement, stress and anxiety. Affectiva intends to use new funding to expand development and marketing of Affdex and to advance the Q wearable. The company positions its technology to help understand how people feel in order to improve products and experiences.

• Neos Therapeutics

  Participated · Equity · Feb 2015

  Neos Therapeutics develops extended‑release and controlled‑release oral formulations for Attention‑Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), including oral disintegrating tablets (ODT) and liquid suspensions. The company has three proprietary products in late‑stage development and a late‑stage pipeline focused on patient‑friendly dosage forms. It also manufactures and markets a generic of Tussionex® extended‑release oral suspension for cough and upper respiratory symptoms. Led by President and CEO Vipin K. Garg, Ph.D., Neos is pursuing regulatory approvals for its candidates. The company completed a $20.6M funding round to support ongoing development. Planned uses of proceeds include the FDA review of NT‑0102 and submission of NDAs for an amphetamine XR‑ODT and an amphetamine XR‑Liquid Suspension. Neos Therapeutics is a Grand Prairie, TX‑based oral drug delivery company focused on controlled‑release (CR) products for ADHD. The company develops and manufactures FDA‑approved drug products leveraging proprietary delivery technologies, including Dynamic Time Release Suspension® (DTRS®) and Rapidly Disintegrating Ionic Masking™ (RDIM™). Its technologies enable delivery of CR small‑molecule APIs in liquid and orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) dosage forms. Neos advances targeted proprietary Rx products by utilizing APIs that are already FDA‑approved to reduce development and regulatory risk and pursue the NDA approval pathway. Led by CEO Vipin K. Garg, Ph.D., the company recently raised financing and plans to use proceeds to obtain FDA approval for three ADHD products, expand its CR ODT and CR liquid programs, and refinance existing debt. Neos Therapeutics develops and manufactures FDA‑targeted drug products that use proprietary delivery technologies (DTRS® and RDIM™) to provide controlled‑release small‑molecule APIs in liquid and orally disintegrating tablet forms. The company pursues products built on APIs that are already FDA‑approved to reduce development and regulatory risk and accelerate NDAs. Its late‑stage pipeline includes three ADHD products being developed with its controlled‑release technologies. Neos recently commercialized a generic extended‑release cough/cold product (a generic of Tussionex®) that it developed and manufactures. The company completed an oversubscribed additional Series C financing to strengthen its financial position. Proceeds are intended to support FDA approvals of the existing pipeline and to expand the use of its CR technologies to additional ODT and liquid products.

• Access Scientific

  Led · Equity · Jun 2011

  Access Scientific develops over-wire vascular access devices built on its proprietary WAND technology. Its second product, the POWERWAND, is an extended-dwell, power-injectable 3.1 inch IV catheter delivered using the proprietary WAND all-in-one safety introducer. The company says the device is designed to reduce patient dissatisfaction from complications and repetitive venipunctures and to lower healthcare workers' risk of accidental needlesticks. Its first product, the PICC WAND, delivers a Teleflex peelable sheath introducer for insertion of peripherally inserted central catheters. Access Scientific completed a $10M financing to support commercialization efforts. The company is led by CEO Steve Bierman, M.D.

No current team members are available.