Participated · Series A · Jun 2024

Alida Biosciences, led by CEO Dr. Gudrun Stengel, develops epigenomic and epitranscriptomic research tools. Its core offerings include the EpiPlex RNA Library Prep Kit and the EpiScout Analysis Suite, which provide an integrated wet‑lab and bioinformatics solution for multiplexed detection and analysis of RNA modifications. The EpiPlex kit is positioned for profiling multiple RNA modifications in input‑limited clinical research samples, offering sensitivity and relative quantification on clinically relevant RNA inputs. EpiScout complements the kit by providing an intuitive platform to analyze and visualize complex epitranscriptomic data and support multiomic integration. The company says its products broaden the application of epitranscriptomics by enabling concurrent analysis of multiple RNA modifications with user‑friendly data interpretation. Alida raised $7.5M in a Series A and intends to use the proceeds to further enhance product development and bring the EpiPlex kit to market.

Participated · Series A · Feb 2022

1859 is a platform company that combines artificial intelligence with empirical pico-scale screening data to discover new small-molecule medicines. Its core “design, build, test, learn” engine uses next-generation DNA-encoded libraries, bead-encoded libraries, and proprietary pico-scale screening to explore billions of molecular starting points and rapidly synthesize and test target-tailored compounds. The platform couples large-scale functional screening with AI predictions, allowing the company to validate hits, retrain models, and iterate quickly on chemistries. 1859 partners with pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic collaborators and has a base of 16 partners for advancing preclinical discovery programs. The company says the funding will be used to develop new capabilities, scale its platform, and advance preclinical programs. 1859 was incubated at JLABS in San Diego, employs 53 people, and was founded in 2019.

Participated · Seed · Jun 2019

NeuraLace Medical is a San Diego–based medical device startup founded in 2016 by Shiv Shukla that is developing Axon Therapy, a magnetic-field device intended to stimulate damaged nerves and relieve chronic pain. The device is designed to "trick" the brain by stimulating the nerve causing pain, offering a non-opioid treatment option. After seven years of work the company received a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. NeuraLace is pursuing FDA 510(k) clearance and Shukla anticipated approval could come as soon as Q2 2020. The company raised $3.85 million in seed funding and plans to use roughly $1.1 million for hardware and software development, with the remainder allocated to its FDA application, clinical studies, and building units for commercial launch. With the new funding NeuraLace intends to add five contract software engineers and a full-time senior sales leader, and previous investors have doubled down. NeuraLace Medical develops non-opioid pain reduction treatments focused on chronic nerve pain. Its first commercial product, Axon Therapy, uses targeted pulsed magnetic fields to stimulate and reactivate damaged nerves to manage pain. The company intends to secure FDA 510(k) approval and to launch Axon Therapy using the funds. Once approved, Axon Therapy devices will be manufactured by D&K Engineering in San Diego. The company is led by founder and CEO Shiv Shukla. It raised $2M in funding to support regulatory clearance and product launch.

Participated · Series A · Aug 2018

Bellwether builds tech-enabled, zero-emission commercial coffee roasters and a connected online marketplace that lets retailers roast beans on-site. Its hardware and software target cafes, grocery stores, college campuses and other retail locations. Roasters are sold for $75,000 or leased for $1,000 per month, and purchase includes access to the company’s online bean marketplace. The company has roughly 140 customers and reported 6x revenue growth in 2019. Bellwether aims to remove wholesale middlemen by enabling shops to roast their own beans and create a connected farm-to-cup experience. With the new funding it plans to expand manufacturing capabilities, grow its customer-facing team, and pursue launches in Southeast Asia and Europe next year. Bellwether builds a ventless, electric, zero-emissions commercial coffee roaster that it leases to cafés, grocers and other businesses. Customers lease the roaster for about $1,000 per month and receive access to Bellwether’s online bean marketplace. The marketplace curates roughly 20 farms and lets retailers order beans filtered by attributes such as organic certification or woman-owned, and enables consumers and retailers to tip farmers directly. Bellwether positions itself at the intersection of hardware and software, combining in‑store roasting equipment with an e-commerce platform for supply transparency. The company emphasizes traceability and sustainability to give retailers and consumers more visibility into bean origin and farmer compensation. Bellwether has begun commercial roll‑outs to cafés and grocers while continuing to expand its marketplace relationships.

Participated · Series A · Jun 2018

Rigado offers Cascade, an integrated Edge-as-a-Service solution built on Microsoft Azure that provides IoT edge connectivity, computing and security and integrates with Azure IoT for smart building solutions at scale. The company focuses on commercial IoT use cases such as Asset Tracking, Smart Lighting, and Sensing and Monitoring in markets including Smart Workplaces, Connected Retail and Logistics. Rigado powers more than 300 global customers and over 5 million connected devices. Founded in 2010 by Ben Corrado, the company is headquartered in Portland and Salem, Oregon, with offices in London, UK and Shenzhen, China. Rigado closed a $15M Series A to fund its growth. The company plans to use the proceeds to expand engineering, sales and deployment teams and further extend its global presence. Rigado provides integrated wireless solutions to help companies develop and scale connected products and services. Its product portfolio includes certified wireless modules, configurable gateways and DeviceOps tools that enable secure device updating at scale. The company serves over 250 customers. Founded in 2010 and based in Portland, Oregon, Rigado targets the IoT market with connectivity hardware and device management services. Following a $3.3M seed raise, it plans to expand its line of connectivity products. It also intends to extend its presence into Europe and Asia.