Participated · Series A · Jan 2025

Oxford Cancer Analytics (OXcan) is a medtech company developing protein-based blood tests for early cancer detection using advanced proteomics, explainable machine learning, and AI. Its core product is a protein-based liquid biopsy intended to identify molecular signatures in high-risk lung cancer patients with high accuracy and localization capacity. OXcan leverages a diverse global biobank and, since 2023, has partnered with over 20 healthcare centers across three continents to develop and deploy its technology. The company has achieved ISO13485 certification and describes the test as affordable, minimally invasive, and suitable for routine population screening. OXcan plans to use new funding to develop and globally commercialize its next-generation lung cancer blood tests. It recently raised US$11 million in a Series A and appointed Dr. Heinrich Roder as Senior Vice President of R&D to advance its lung cancer blood test toward deployment.

Led · Series B · Jul 2024

NOWDiagnostics develops and manufactures OTC and point-of-care diagnostic tests using a patented platform that enables virtually any immunological assay to be performed in one step with a small amount of capillary blood, yielding results in minutes. The company’s platform also includes saliva and plasma test technologies to enable next-generation rapid testing at home without a blood draw or throat swab. NOWDx’s First To Know® Syphilis OTC test is undergoing De Novo review by the U.S. FDA and could become the first rapid at-home syphilis test in the U.S. The company reports more than 30 diagnostic tests in its clinical research pipeline and maintains product lines including First To Know® and ADEXUSDx® available worldwide. NOWDx holds over 75 patents issued and pending. The company says it will commercialize at-home tests, continue developing diagnostic innovations, expand its test pipeline, and support strategic hiring initiatives.

Participated · Series A · Aug 2022

Biotia is a New York, NY health tech company that leverages sequencing-based technology and proprietary AI-powered software to rapidly and accurately identify microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance. Launched from the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech, Biotia operates a SUNY Downstate-affiliated CLIA lab at BioBAT in New York City. Its products include a curated genomics reference library for pathogens, clinical-grade metagenomics assays, and a sequencing-based assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants that recently received expanded FDA EUA. The company provides software, data, and lab assays to clinicians, laboratories, and public-health organizations for pathogen detection, characterization, research, and surveillance. Biotia plans to grow its diagnostic offerings and expand capacity for global pathogen research and surveillance while rolling out new algorithms and tools for physicians, researchers, and health systems. Financially, Biotia has raised an oversubscribed $8 million Series A and will use the investment to expand technical capabilities, compliance, and marketing reach. Biotia leverages next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) and proprietary AI software Chelsea™ to rapidly and accurately identify microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance from clinical and environmental samples. Chelsea can detect known and emerging bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses from a clinically‑curated and annotated database of over 16,000 microbial species and reports predicted drug resistance and virulence markers. The company has built one of the world’s largest precision metagenomics clinical databases by working with hospitals internationally across sample types including urine, stool, blood, sputum and soft tissue. Biotia plans to launch new CAP/CLIA clinical diagnostic tests in early 2020 and is expanding its offerings from environmental testing and research‑use patient tests to patient diagnostics. The company announced an oversubscribed $2.4M seed raise to further develop and implement its diagnostic testing methods and AI software. The executive team includes Co‑Founder and CEO Dr. Niamh B. O’Hara, Co‑Founder Dr. Christopher E. Mason (Global Director), Co‑Founder and CTO Dr. Rachid Ounit, and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dorottya Nagy‑Szakal.

Led · Series A · Oct 2021

Optina develops a Retinal Deep Phenotyping platform that leverages retinal imaging and AI to assess brain health and systemic disease, including a cerebral amyloid status test (awAIrTM) for Alzheimer’s detection. The company holds FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its first indication (2019) and received 501(k) clearance for its Optina-4CTM hyperspectral camera in 2020. Optina is advancing a pivotal clinical study for FDA regulatory submission of the awAIrTM test and plans to expand the study cohort across five sites in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Recent financing will support enlargement of that pivotal cohort and alignment of the platform with novel therapeutic approvals. The company is led by CEO David Lapointe and is based in Montreal, Canada. Optina previously closed a Series A led by DigitalDx Ventures with participation from Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Desjardins, Zoic Capital and others. Optina Diagnostics develops a Retinal Deep Phenotyping™ platform that uses non‑invasive retinal imaging and AI to support diagnosis and management of brain health (including Alzheimer’s) and systemic diseases. Its platform received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation in 2019 for a non‑invasive test to improve Alzheimer’s evaluation. The company is advancing an awAIr™ cerebral amyloid status test and plans a pivotal study to support that indication. Optina intends to use recent funding to further platform development for early detection of systemic diseases and to expand clinical deployments. Management is pursuing installation of its platform at leading clinical sites across the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company recently closed a material Series A financing to fund those studies and deployments.

Led · Series A · Oct 2021

Optina develops a Retinal Deep PhenotypingTM platform that combines retinal imaging and AI to produce rapid, non-invasive diagnostic tests (a 1‑second eye scan) for brain health and systemic disease. Its lead product is the awAIrTM cerebral amyloid status test for Alzheimer's disease detection, and the company aims to support regulatory approval and clinical deployment of that test. Optina's platform received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation in 2019 for its first indication and its Optina-4CTM hyperspectral camera obtained 501(k) clearance in 2020. The company is running a pivotal clinical study across five sites in the USA, Canada and Europe and intends to expand cohort size and install its platform at additional leading institutions. Recent financing activity follows an oversubscribed Series A led by DigitalDx Ventures with participation from Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Desjardins, Zoic Capital and others. The new funding is intended to support the pivotal study and the FDA regulatory submission for the awAIr test and to accelerate broader clinical site deployment. Optina Diagnostics develops retinal imaging tools aimed at improving brain health and systemic disease detection, centered on its Retinal Deep PhenotypingTM platform. The company has an awAIrTM cerebral amyloid status test and the platform obtained FDA Breakthrough Device Designation in 2019 for a non-invasive test to aid Alzheimer’s disease evaluation. Optina is led by CEO David Lapointe. It closed a CA$24.8M Series A to support a pivotal study for the awAIr test and to advance platform development for early detection of systemic diseases. The financing will also accelerate deployment of additional clinical study sites and installations of its Retinal Deep PhenotypingTM platform at leading institutions in the United States, Canada and Europe. Optina Diagnostics is a Montreal-based company that uses artificial intelligence and spectral/hyperspectral retinal imaging to detect disease early, with an initial focus on Alzheimer’s. The company is developing a cerebral Amyloid prediction test based on retinal imaging and clinical data. Clinical data were gathered with financial support from CQDM and CTS, and the company says it is ready to extend its clinical sites. Leadership is headed by CEO David Lapointe. Optina intends to use newly raised funds to scale clinical development, accelerate regulatory approval efforts, and speed market readiness. The company raised C$4m in funding to support these plans.