• Inflammatix

  Participated · Series C · Jan 2020

  Inflammatix is reimagining infectious-disease diagnostics by using proprietary host-response biomarkers and machine learning to measure gene expression patterns from a finger-stick blood sample. Its sample-to-answer Myrna instrument platform delivers results in under 30 minutes and is being paired with the ViraBac EZ test, which tells physicians whether an infection is bacterial or viral so they can prescribe antibiotics appropriately. The company’s initial focus areas are acute infections and sepsis, large markets where faster, more precise information can improve outcomes and curb antibiotic resistance. Inflammatix’s technology aims to reduce the estimated 30 % of antibiotics that are inappropriately prescribed in U.S. outpatient settings each year. Commercialization efforts are currently supported by non-dilutive government funding and venture backing from Khosla Ventures, Northpond Ventures, Stanford StartX Fund, Think.Health Ventures, and OSF Ventures. A BARDA contract worth up to $72 million, if all options are exercised, underpins ongoing product development. The latest tranche of BARDA financing brings additional resources to finalize the testing system and move it toward market launch.

• Casca

  Participated · Series A · Nov 2019

  Casca develops customizable footwear using 3D-printed insoles and automated, decentralized manufacturing to create a more precise fit and reduce waste. The company debuted its Avro sneaker, which features a custom 3D-printed insole printed to customers’ arch and foot measurements. Customers can customize Avro through Casca’s iOS or Android app and receive shoes and insoles within 14 days. Casca says its manufacturing approach increases efficiency and aims to challenge traditional footwear production. The startup plans to open its first retail space in Vancouver later this month. Casca hopes to manufacture 100 percent custom-fit shoes by 2029.

• Winterlight Labs

  Participated · Equity · Nov 2019

  Winterlight Labs develops proprietary AI vocal-technology that combines computational linguistics, cognitive neuroscience and machine learning to assess patients' cognitive health from short speech snippets captured on a tablet. Using a one-minute sample of natural speech, the technology can detect disorders such as dementia and aphasia and monitor treatment efficacy. The company is led by co‑founder and CEO Liam Kaufman. Winterlight raised CAD 5.6M in funding to extend its technology to additional indications, including schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis, and to support expansion into additional languages. The round was led by Hikma Pharmaceuticals’ venture arm, Hikma Ventures, with participation from First Star Ventures, Pacific Health Ventures, existing investor Grey Sky Venture Partners and other investors. The company intends to apply the new capital to broaden clinical and linguistic coverage of its platform.

• AmacaThera

  Participated · Seed · Oct 2019

  AmacaThera develops novel injectable, localized therapeutics using its AmacaGel hydrogel platform. Its lead clinical candidate, AMT-143, is a long-acting, non-opioid post-surgical pain therapeutic intended to provide rapid onset and up to three days of pain relief. Preclinical studies have shown superior release kinetics compared with the current standard of care, and a Phase Ib clinical trial is scheduled to commence in early 2024. The AmacaGel platform can deliver a wide range of therapeutics—from small molecules to antibodies, lipid nanoparticles, and stem cells—and has demonstrated safety in humans across over 40 peer-reviewed publications. The company plans to expand the platform's applications and develop additional localized, sustained-release products targeting indications including post-surgical pain and cancer. AmacaThera raised CAD$4.0 million in a Series A extension to accelerate clinical development and advance multiple pipeline programs. AmacaThera is a clinical-stage company based in Toronto that has developed a proprietary hydrogel platform enabling local, sustained release of small-molecule drugs, biotherapeutics, and cells. The materials leverage inverse thermogelling properties to protect encapsulated biomolecules from degradation and clearance and have shown utility in multiple disease models. Its lead product, AMT-143, is being developed as a single injection administered at the time of surgery to treat post-surgical pain and reduce or prevent the need for opioid-based pain relief. AmacaThera is a spin-out from Dr. Molly Shoichet’s laboratory at the University of Toronto and is led by CEO and cofounder Michael Cooke and CSO and cofounder Molly Shoichet. The company plans to advance AMT-143 into clinical trials and to expand its pipeline using the injectable sustained-release platform. AmacaThera completed an oversubscribed C$10.3 million Series A to support development of AMT-143 and pipeline expansion. AmacaThera is focused on commercializing a proprietary injectable, biocompatible hydrogel platform designed for sustained delivery, targeting and release of diverse therapeutic agents. Its lead program, AMT-143, is being developed to improve post-operative pain control and reduce or eliminate opioid use following surgery. The company was nurtured in Dr. Molly Shoichet’s laboratory and participated in multiple accelerators, including Creative Destruction Lab, University of Toronto Early Stage Technology, OBIO, TIAP, and the U of T Innovations & Partnership Office. AmacaThera is a resident company at Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (JLABS @ Toronto). Co-founded by Dr. Molly Shoichet (Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer) and Mike Cooke (Co-Founder and CEO), the company recently closed a US$3.6M seed financing round. In conjunction with the financing, Peter van der Velden, Managing General Partner at Lumira Ventures, joined the company’s board of directors.

• Altoida

  Participated · Series A · May 2019

  Altoida’s core product is a precision neurology platform that uses AI to analyze a proprietary 10-minute set of digital test activities delivered via augmented reality on a smartphone or tablet to capture cognitive and functional changes. The AR-based tests simulate activities of daily living to detect Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s earlier and more accurately than existing methods; the platform has received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation. The company says its technology is intended to accelerate and improve drug development, research, and clinical care for neurological diseases and to validate applications across Parkinson’s and schizophrenia. Altoida plans to invest in medical, scientific, engineering, and commercial teams, and to expand its US and global intellectual property and regulatory portfolios. The platform is supported by more than 20 years of scientific research and aims to address the large and growing global burden of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Altoida is based in Washington, D.C. Altoida develops an FDA-cleared and CE Mark–approved medical device and brain health data platform that uses AI, ML and AR to collect functional and cognitive digital biomarkers. The company leverages smart device sensors and interactive tasks (asking patients to hide and seek virtual objects) to analyze visuospatial and executive function and detect ‘‘micro-errors’’ as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers. Altoida’s technology is used by researchers, patients and physicians to detect Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease in patients 62+ years old between six and ten years prior to symptom onset. The platform and methodology have been validated in more than 12 peer-reviewed publications and over 200 independent studies. Altoida says the new financing will support expansion in the US, Japan, Europe and Brazil. The company is led by Dr. Richard Fischer and has offices in Houston, San Diego and Lucerne, Switzerland. Altoida develops an FDA-cleared and CE Mark-approved medical device and brain-health data platform that objectively assesses cognitive and everyday functions prior to symptom onset. Its product leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning and augmented reality to collect functional and cognitive biomarkers. The platform analyzes visuospatial and executive function through a battery of three tests that ask patients to hide and seek virtual objects in physical space. Altoida has been validated in more than 12 peer-reviewed publications and over 200 independent studies and is used in clinics across the US, Europe and Brazil. The company raised $6.3M in a Series A and intends to use the capital to expand its global presence with an immediate focus on commercialization in the US and EU markets. Altoida maintains offices in Houston, San Diego and Lucerne, Switzerland.

No current team members are available.