The Venture Codex

Participated · Equity · Jan 2019

EarlySense, led by CEO Avner Halperin, develops contact-free continuous monitoring solutions used worldwide across the care continuum. Its FDA-cleared and CE-approved systems are deployed in hospitals, post-acute facilities and homes to assist clinicians in early detection of patient deterioration. The technology leverages artificial intelligence and big data analytics to deliver actionable health insights. EarlySense says its solutions have been proven to help prevent adverse events including code blue events, preventable ICU transfers, patient falls, pressure ulcers and hospital readmissions. The company is headquartered in Ramat Gan, Israel and Woburn, Massachusetts, and recently completed a $39M financing round. EarlySense provides an FDA-cleared and CE-approved contact-free continuous monitoring system that tracks patient heart rate, respiratory rate and movement via a sensor placed under the mattress. Continuous data is displayed on bedside monitors, nurse monitoring stations and delivered to clinicians’ smart devices. The company’s technology leverages Big Data and advanced algorithms to generate accurate health information for early detection of adverse events and improved patient outcomes. Its sensor technology also powers consumer products including Samsung’s SleepSense, iFit’s Sleep Sensor and Beurer’s SE 80 Sleep Expert. The company intends to use the new funding to continue to grow and to launch consumer digital health offerings based on its proven technology. EarlySense was founded in 2004 and is led by CEO Avner Halperin, with operations in Waltham, MA and Ramat Gan, Israel. EarlySense has developed a platform based on algorithms, analytics and smart Health/IT capabilities for contact-free, continuous monitoring of heart and respiratory rate, as well as movement and sleep. The system is installed in hospitals, rehabilitation centers and homes across the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia. EarlySense also offers OEM solutions for companies looking to add contact-free and continuous sensing capabilities to their products. The company is led by CEO Avner Halperin and has US headquarters in Waltham, MA while being based in Ramat Gan, Israel. EarlySense completed a $20M financing and intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations. EarlySense is described as the market leader in proactive patient care solutions, with a flagship contact‑free system that monitors and documents patients' vital signs and movement via a sensor placed beneath a mattress. The system requires no leads or cuffs, allowing patients freedom of movement, and is designed primarily for non‑ICU 'lower risk' patients on medical‑surgical floors. EarlySense's technology is installed in hospitals and rehabilitation centers across the U.S. and Europe and is commercially available in Canada. The company plans to use new financing to accelerate sales, further develop its contact‑free monitoring solutions, expand clinical research, and support global commercialization efforts. EarlySense is headquartered in Waltham, MA. EarlySense commercializes an automatic, continuous, contact-free patient monitoring system that documents vital signs and movement without leads or cuffs. The system is installed in hospitals and rehabilitation centers in the USA and Europe and is commercially available in Canada. Management and new board member Peter Soderberg see opportunities for rapid market growth initially in hospital and long‑term care markets and subsequently in the home market. The company recently received new innovative technology status from Novation and published clinical results from a Dignity Health study with Harvard‑affiliated support showing improved clinical outcomes. EarlySense is headquartered in Waltham, MA and lists investors including JK&B, Pitango Venture Capital, Etgar Challenge Fund, ProSeed VC Fund (TASE: PRSD), Docor International Management, Noaber, and Bridge Investment Fund. The press release does not disclose operating metrics such as revenue or user counts.

Participated · Equity · Feb 2017

Pharma Two B is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on reformulation and combination of previously approved orally administered drugs for neurological indications, using the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway to shorten timelines. Its lead product, P2B001, is a novel fixed‑dose once‑daily extended‑release combination of low‑dose pramipexole and proprietary ER rasagiline designed for early‑stage Parkinson’s disease with no titration required and a goal of improved efficacy with minimal side effects. The company recently completed a multinational Phase III pivotal study of P2B001 conducted at 70 sites in North America and the EU, with topline results expected by the end of Q4 2021. Pharma Two B has entered a strategic licensing and investment agreement with Myung In Pharm for South Korea, under which Myung In Pharm will lead registration, manufacturing and commercialization in the region. Myung In Pharm made a $5 million equity investment in Pharma Two B as part of the agreement, and Pharma Two B is entitled to royalties on sales in South Korea. The company is led by an experienced management team, supported by scientific and clinical key opinion leaders and existing investors. Pharma Two B Ltd. is a Rehovoth, Israel–based biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for Parkinson’s disease. Its lead product, P2B001, is a combination drug intended for early-stage Parkinson’s disease. The company intends to use the proceeds of its financing to complete the final pivotal Phase III clinical trial required to register P2B001. Pharma Two B develops products in two therapeutic areas with significant unmet needs and plans to expand its portfolio to include additional products. The company completed a $30m third round of financing to support these plans. Leadership includes Founder & Chairman Ehud Marom and CEO Dr. Nurit Livnah, and Jeff Kindler will join the board in conjunction with the funding. Pharma Two B Ltd. is a privately held Rehovoth, Israel–based company that develops fixed‑dose‑combination (FDC) products combining two or more approved drugs to achieve complementary and synergistic effects. Its lead product, P2B001, is an FDC for early‑stage Parkinson’s disease intended to address unmet needs in treatment regimes currently dominated by levodopa. The company is pursuing the US FDA 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway to enable a shorter approval process based on existing data. Proceeds from the recently completed financing will be used to complete a pivotal Phase IIb clinical trial of the Parkinson’s combination. Pharma Two B focuses development efforts in Parkinson’s disease and cancer and plans to commercialize value‑added products based on approved drugs. Management expects the current financing to cover needs through 2015, at which point royalties from its generic product portfolio are projected to begin.

Participated · Equity · May 2015

Actiance is a Redwood City, California-based provider of compliance, security, archiving and eDiscovery for all critical business communications. The Actiance platform offers real-time content monitoring, centralized policy management, contextual capture of content and smart archiving and supports 72+ social media, unified communications, collaboration and IM platforms. Its newly launched Alcatraz provides customers across the financial services and insurance industries with a cloud-based content store for email and social communication channels. Led by CEO Kailash Ambwani, the company intends to use funds to accelerate go-to-market initiatives for Alcatraz, extend product innovation and introduce new capabilities. Actiance plans to scale globally and open new data centers in Europe in Frankfurt and Amsterdam. The company closed $28M in late-stage growth funding from a mix of new and existing investors to support these initiatives.

Participated · Equity · Jun 2013

Vormetric provides data-centric security solutions that protect files, databases and applications across physical, virtual and cloud environments while maintaining application performance and avoiding encryption and key management complexity. Led by CEO Alan Kessler, the company serves enterprise, service provider and government customers. Vormetric serves over 1,100 customers in 20 countries worldwide. The company plans to use new funding for growth in strategic market segments, development of product innovations and international expansion. Vormetric is based in San Jose, California.

Led · Series D · Dec 2012

Vantrix develops software platforms that optimize video and message traffic for carriers, ISPs and enterprises, enabling dynamic adjustment of video to meet network constraints while maintaining end-user quality. Its solutions combine bandwidth optimization, deep network traffic intelligence, and granular policy enforcement to reduce congestion from video, web content, and internet audio. Vantrix positions its technology to help operators monetize growing video traffic and balance user experience with cost-effective network usage. The company reports deployments to more than one billion subscribers across 75+ mobile networks on five continents. Vantrix will use growth capital from the financing to fund strategic growth initiatives and pursue near-term profitability goals. The company is backed by investors including Summerhill Venture Partners, Tudor Growth Equity, BDC Capital and JK&B Capital. Vantrix provides policy-controlled content optimization and delivery solutions for mobile network operators, focused on video and image transcoding, network and messaging optimization, and content traffic intelligence. Its flagship offering, Vantrix Bandwidth Optimizer, delivers configurable control and traffic insight to address congestion, quality of experience, cost savings, and revenue growth. The company says its solutions are configurable, scalable, and were developed to address video challenges beyond first-generation mobile optimization platforms. Vantrix reports deployments in over 75 networks, serving over 1 billion subscribers worldwide, and lists customers including Bell Canada, Sprint, Orange, Telefonica and T-Mobile. The company is headquartered in Montreal with offices in the United States and London. It plans to use proceeds from the recent funding to meet demand from its growing global presence in network optimization and content delivery. Vantrix Corporation is a Montreal-based provider of mobile video optimization and delivery solutions. Led by President and CEO Allan Benchetrit, the company's technology is designed to ensure content is delivered cost-effectively and with the best possible user experience across services, devices, and networks. Its solutions are deployed in over 70 networks and customers include Sprint, Orange, Telefonica, T-Mobile, TeliaSonera, MTS, Etisalat, Saudi Telecom Company and Tata Telecom. Vantrix has offices in London, Hong Kong, and Dubai. Financially, the company received a $3M venture debt financing from Wellington Financial LP. The proceeds are intended to help the company expand into new markets worldwide. Vantrix provides mobile video optimization and delivery solutions for streaming, browsing and messaging through its Mediadvance platform. The platform is currently used by major carriers including Sprint, Orange, Telefonica, T-Mobile, TeliaSonera, MTS, Etisalat, Saudi Telecom Company and Tata Telecom. The company completed a US$14m Series C financing to support its expansion strategies. The round was led by Tudor Ventures with participation from existing investors. In conjunction with the funding, Dan MacKeigan of Tudor Ventures joined Vantrix’s board. Vantrix is based in Montreal and also operates offices in London, Hong Kong and Dubai. Vantrix offers a mobile-focused rich media delivery platform and delivery tools that allow video to be easily viewed on cellphones. The platform helps content providers and carriers overcome device, screen size, codec, content format, media player and network fragmentation. Vantrix positions itself as an online platform delivery specialist for rich media on mobile. The company emphasizes removing technical barriers so carriers and providers can deliver ubiquitous and compelling new mobile services. Vantrix plans to use recent funding to expand operations globally and to invest in infrastructure and R&D to support its growing customer base. The company announced a $12 million Series B financing led by JK&B Capital as part of its current financial update.