• Carmell Therapeutics

  Participated · Series B · Jul 2017

  Carmell Therapeutics, a spinout from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, develops regenerative-medicine technologies based on patented Plasma-based Bioactive Materials (PBMs) manufactured from human blood plasma. Its PBMs concentrate natural regenerative factors to promote healing, reduce infections and complications, and can be formed into putties, pastes, scaffolds, plugs, screws and sheets. The company’s lead product candidate is Bone Healing Accelerant. Carmell closed a $4M Series B to advance that candidate into phase III clinical development. The company positions its technology to save healthcare costs by improving healing across multiple clinical settings. Carmell Therapeutics develops biologically active plastics made from blood plasma intended to promote healing of bone and connective tissue. Its first product is an arthroscopically placed surgical scaffold placed between bone and tendon to treat rotator cuff and tendon injuries; the scaffold deteriorates over four to six weeks while delivering the body’s growth and regenerative factors. The company is also developing a bone putty as a second product. Carmell plans to use the recent Series A proceeds to set up a manufacturing facility and collect data for a pilot study and hopes a successful pilot will support a larger Series B to fund a clinical trial and pursue federal regulatory clearance. The company disclosed an equity first close of $3 million in an SEC filing and said it will accept additional investments to round out the round; nine investors participated. Carmell was founded in 2007 to commercialize technology developed by Carnegie Mellon University and Allegheny General Hospital and is based in Pittsburgh; CEO Alan West previously served as a Boston Scientific vice president of R&D.

• Courtagen Life Sciences

  Participated · Equity · Jul 2015

  Courtagen is a privately held life sciences and molecular information company based in Woburn, Massachusetts that converts genomic data into actionable clinical information for diagnosis of critical pediatric neurological and metabolic disorders. The company sells proprietary genomic diagnostic and drug metabolism assays focused on mitochondrial disorders, epilepsy, and intellectual disability, including autism spectrum disorders. Its Next Generation Sequencing clinical laboratory integrates genotype, phenotype, and disease mechanism data using cloud-based computing and custom analytical methods to provide comprehensive results for clinicians, patients, and families. Courtagen recently completed a financing that adds approximately $20 million of new growth equity to its balance sheet. The company intends to use the proceeds to expand its ability to deliver services while maintaining strong financial and operating discipline. Courtagen aims to build into a world-class, global enterprise with greater capabilities, reach, and impact to help physicians treat patients.

• Senet

  Participated · Series A · Jun 2015

  Senet is a provider of cloud-based software and services that enable global connectivity and on-demand LoRaWAN network build-outs for IoT. Its core product is a cloud-based operating system and carrier-grade network management services that support rapid deployment, secure connection, and management of large numbers of low-power sensors. Senet operates the largest publicly available LoRaWAN network in the United States, offers coverage in over 80 countries, and its patent-pending Low Power Wide Area Virtual Network (LVN) has received industry recognition. The company offers Managed Network Services for IoT (MNSi) and RAN Provider Services and plans partner programs to facilitate engagement between network infrastructure companies and IoT solution providers. It will use the newly raised $16 million to accelerate deployment and densification of its LoRaWAN network across the U.S., expand global business development and co-marketing, and support utility and municipal network builds. Senet, launched in 2014, has seen increased demand from the energy and utility sector and has designed smart meter networks for municipal water districts representing millions of households. Senet provides a public Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) using a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) designed for low-cost, long-range IoT and M2M applications. The company operates an IoT/M2M marketplace and a countrywide network that supports monitoring of distributed assets such as residential fuel oil and propane tanks, water and gas meters, commercial lubrication distribution, and solar irradiance. Senet offers monitoring services to environmentally-conscious businesses for managing and measuring widely distributed assets. The company is based in Hudson, NH. It completed a Series A financing that included an A-2 offering and intends to use the proceeds to continue building out the hardware and software needed to support the Senet NaaS LPWAN offering. No operating metrics were disclosed in the article.

• Alcyone Lifesciences

  Participated · Series B · Jan 2014

  Alcyone Lifesciences is a Concord, Massachusetts-based medical device company founded in 2010. It develops a platform technology for delivery of therapy to the brain and a novel technology to manage CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) shunt occlusions. The company's products target difficult neuropathological conditions. It intends to use the funds from the Series B to further develop its brain-delivery platform and the CSF shunt occlusion technology. The founding team includes PJ Anand (CEO), Adam Fleisher, MD, and William Olbricht, PhD. Alcyone Lifesciences is focused on developing products for the treatment of difficult and chronic neuropathological conditions. The company disclosed in a regulatory filing that it raised $1.8 million in its first round of venture capital. Fourteen investors participated in the offering. A principal of MPM Capital is a co-founder of the company. The filing lists AYER, MA as the company's location. The disclosed capital represents the company's first venture financing.

• Vets First Choice

  Participated · Equity · Jun 2013

  Vets First Choice offers a technology-enabled platform that tracks medication and service compliance, drives client engagement, and enables veterinarians to dispense medications via an e-commerce channel. The platform has demonstrated the ability to triple pet owners’ use of prescribed or recommended products and services, helping practices grow revenues, improve profitability, and raise client satisfaction. The company provides technology solutions and support services to more than 20,000 veterinary practice partners and has more than doubled in size in the past year. Vets First Choice partners with veterinarians to identify gaps in patient care and to deliver pro‑active prescription management and population-health services. The company plans to launch new innovative services and begin a global expansion into Europe and Asia following its recent strategic investment. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, Vets First Choice serves companion and equine veterinary practitioners. Vets First Choice provides cloud-based prescription management, pharmacy services, marketing solutions and practice analytics to equine and companion animal veterinary practitioners. It partners with veterinary practices to deliver turn-key outsourced pharmacy and prescription management services supported by a portfolio of pet owner communication and engagement tools. The company says its services improve practice profitability, increase prescription compliance, reduce inventory and boost client engagement. Vets First Choice is the largest and most highly accredited operator in the market, holding recognitions from national accreditation boards including Vet-VIPPS and PCAB. Following the investment by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and existing shareholders, the company plans to scale its network of practice partners, support the launch of new services and pursue strategic business development opportunities. The company intends to leverage new technology and services powered by its platform alongside CD&R's healthcare expertise and the existing management team. Vets First Choice is a privately-held national home delivery provider of FDA- and EPA-approved pharmaceuticals, therapeutic diets and compounded medications to pet owners on behalf of veterinary clinics, headquartered in Portland, Maine. The company operates as an online veterinary partner-pharmacy and marketing service, is an authorized distributor of more than 5,000 medications and diets, and holds pharmacy licensing in all 50 states along with Vet‑VIPPS accreditation. Vets First Choice reports registering more than a half-million pet owner subscribers via veterinary practices and partnering with more than 6,000 veterinary hospitals. Its suite of services is designed to improve medical compliance, reduce inventory costs, enhance customer service, and support the veterinarian‑client‑patient relationship for partner practices. Company leadership cites rapid subscriber growth—over 500,000 in three years—and says the business is well positioned for continued robust growth with new resources from investors. HLM Venture Partners and the company’s other investors are expected to support further innovation and consolidation in the veterinary pharmacy services market. Vets First Choice is a national home delivery provider of FDA- and EPA-approved pharmaceuticals, therapeutic diets and compounded medications to pet owners on behalf of veterinary clinics, partnered with more than 6,000 veterinary hospitals. The company is licensed in all 50 states and its pharmacy complies with licensing and inspection requirements and Vet-VIPPS. Earlier this year Vets First Choice acquired VetCentric.com, creating the market-leading veterinary partner-pharmacy provider, and recently launched a next-generation online shopping platform to its customer base. Its services aim to improve medical compliance, reduce inventory costs, and enhance customer service to support the Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship. The new investment will support continued growth and expansion in the veterinary services and home delivery space, a market the article estimates to exceed $5 billion in the U.S. Polaris’s strategic counsel and network are expected to aid the company’s innovation and expansion plans, according to company and investor statements.

No current team members are available.