Participated · Series A · Apr 2021

PyrAmes develops wearable bands (Boppli and Bosimi) designed to provide noninvasive, continuous blood pressure monitoring for infants in the NICU and women during and after pregnancy. The company’s lead product, Boppli, has received Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. PyrAmes is further developing its proprietary technology to monitor blood pressure in women at risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. PyrAmes received an investment from March of Dimes to support development and commercialization of its maternal and pediatric monitoring products. Its first commercial product, Boppli, is expected to be available after FDA 510(k) clearance anticipated in 2023, and products based on the technology are still under development and not yet cleared for distribution. The company emphasizes safer alternatives to arterial lines and more convenient continuous monitoring versus standard cuffs. PyrAmes is a development-stage digital health company focused on continuous, wireless and non-invasive blood pressure monitoring. Its lead product, Boppli™, is a wireless sensor band designed to continuously measure blood pressure for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) without the risks of an invasive arterial catheter. The FDA has granted Breakthrough Device Designation for Boppli. The company plans follow-on products for adults in inpatient and at-home settings. Proceeds from the announced financing will be used for pilot-scale manufacturing, clinical validation studies, and regulatory agency reviews. Xina Quan, Ph.D., is Co‑Founder and CEO, and the company is based in Cupertino, Calif.

Participated · Series C · Jun 2014

mCube designs and sells small MEMS motion sensors for consumer, mobile and wearable devices. Its product line includes accelerometers, magnetic sensors and the iGyro™, a software-based gyroscope optimized for Android smartphones and tablets. The company positions its sensors to be embedded in anything that moves and promotes an “Internet of Moving Things (IoMT)” to measure and analyze movement and context. Ben Lee serves as president and CEO. mCube intends to use new funding to further accelerate growth and expand its line of motion sensors.

Participated · Equity · Aug 2013

LP Amina completed its third round of growth capital financing totaling USD 20 million. The round was led by Hao Capital, described in the report as a China-focused private equity firm. Co-investors in the financing included WLR China Energy Infrastructure Fund (CEIF), Qiming Ventures and Keytone Ventures. The transaction was reported on 6 Aug 2013. The article identifies this as a growth capital round and the company's third financing event. No revenue, user metrics, product details or future plans are disclosed in the report.

Led · Equity · Apr 2012

NanoH2O, based in El Segundo, Calif., designs, develops and manufactures thin-film nanocomposite reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for seawater desalination and other water-treatment applications. Its QuantumFlux membranes deliver higher flux and salt rejection, improved energy efficiency and are NSF Standard 61 certified for drinking water. QuantumFlux products are available in standard 8-inch elements that fit new and existing desalination plants and purify water from a broad range of sources. The company says its membranes lower the energy, operating and capital costs of desalination. Proceeds from the recent financing will be used to accelerate growth, expand manufacturing capabilities and broaden product offerings. Financially, the company has raised $75 million in total equity and, with the recent debt facilities, has secured over $100 million of total debt and equity financing. NanoH2O is an El Segundo, CA-based global provider of membranes for desalination and water reuse. The company develops high-flux reverse osmosis membranes intended to increase productivity and address fouling issues in commercial desalination. It received a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research to evaluate its membranes for shipboard desalination systems. Tests at the U.S. Navy Seawater Desalination Test Facility in Port Hueneme will assess fouling resistance and optimize desalination systems for high-flux operations. The research will provide a benchmark comparing NanoH2O’s technology to existing RO membranes and help validate its novel approach. The company is backed by Khosla Ventures and Oak Investment Partners.

Led · Series B · Apr 2011

PapayaMobile offers a plug-and-play technology and social network that enables developers to add social gaming elements and in-app billing to iOS and Android titles. Its social network comprises over 15 million users and, since launching the gaming platform last year, 350 applications have integrated PapayaMobile. The company has seen over 375% growth in its user base since opening the network in June 2010. PapayaMobile has placed a strategic bet on Android and was among the first to integrate Google Android’s in-app billing to enable microtransactions. The new funding will be used to expand the developer ecosystem in the U.S. and Europe, improve server infrastructure to scale, and to expand the platform into the Chinese market. The company has raised a total of $22 million to date. PapayaMobile provides an open-API, cross-platform mobile social networking service (SNS) focused on social games and virtual goods for users and third-party developers. The company offers developer tools including a Papaya Social SDK for Android that enables cross-promotion and monetization via a virtual currency system. As a complement, PapayaMobile also provides a Papaya Offer SDK designed to lower game developers’ customer acquisition costs. The Social SDK was launched the day of the article to extend the company’s developer-facing product suite. PapayaMobile plans to increase its developer community, further develop its social and gaming mobile applications, and expand the management team. The company closed a $4m funding round led by DCM to support these efforts.