Participated · Equity · Nov 2021

Model Medicines is an AI/ML drug discovery company that leverages a historical compendium of drug development data and a drug- and disease-agnostic discovery platform to create Phase II/III-ready drug candidates. The company has developed a pipeline of patent-pending therapeutics across oncology, infectious diseases, gastric disorders, neurological disorders, and weight disorders. It recently used its platform to discover MDL-001, a once-daily oral infectious disease candidate moved from concept to IND-enabling studies in less than 12 months and at a fraction of traditional development costs. Model Medicines also identified and validated over 30 in vitro disease-model drug candidates for novel infectious disease targets discovered by Sanford Burnham Prebys and virologist Dr. Sumit Chanda. Following the $4.1M financing, the company plans to bolster its internal therapeutic pipeline, expand R&D to broaden platform functionality and enhance discovery efficacy, and recruit scientific, clinical, technical, and business leaders. The company is led by CEO Daniel Haders II, Ph.D., and is based in San Diego, CA.

Participated · Seed · Nov 2019

Trials.ai offers a Smart Protocol Solution — AI-enabled software that guides research teams through development of clinical trial protocols. The company positions its product as a way to reduce poorly designed protocols that cause trial failures and wasted R&D spend. Trials.ai says it already has commercial traction and aims to accelerate deployment of its software to get treatments to patients faster. CEO Kim Walpole is noted as an experienced startup leader who has attracted strong staff and advisors. The company is based in San Diego and highlights clinical trials as a segment ripe for AI-driven optimization. Financially, Trials.ai completed an oversubscribed funding round to support its deployment plans.

Participated · Seed · Jun 2018

MedCrypt is a San Diego–based maker of cybersecurity software for medical devices. It provides software for any device the FDA would consider a medical device where cybersecurity is a concern, including insulin pumps, heart rate monitors, AI-based radiology tools, and autonomous robots. The company targets common device problems such as outdated software, weak user authentication, and a lack of good cryptography. MedCrypt is a Y Combinator graduate and is led by founder and CEO Mike Kijewski. The company says its technology helps device manufacturers meet updated FDA premarket and postmarket cybersecurity guidance to get critical devices to market faster. Its stated long-term goal is to build a large, publicly traded healthcare-specific cybersecurity company. MedCrypt provides a security software platform that enables device vendors to use cryptography to secure data traveling between or stored on medical devices. The platform also offers remote, real-time monitoring to alert vendors to suspicious behavior that may indicate security threats to their company, devices, and patients. The company is led by founder and CEO Mike Kijewski and Vidya Murthy, vice president of operations. MedCrypt was part of Y Combinator’s Winter 2019 batch. It has raised a total of $8.4M to date. The company will use the new funds to expand its team—adding sales and engineering roles—and to further develop its technology. MedCrypt provides cryptographically embedded cybersecurity software for medical device makers. Its software enables vendors to build Secure By Design products and to monitor device behavior once deployed. MedCrypt-enabled devices are designed to meet FDA cybersecurity regulations and give hospitals and medical facilities tools to encrypt, monitor and protect devices in real time. Customers include Reflexion Medical and QuiO. Led by CEO and co-founder Mike Kijewski, the company intends to use the new funds to accelerate the commercial deployment of its software. This additional financing brings total funding to $3m to date. MedCrypt is advancing a SaaS security platform for connected medical devices. Its technology uses a machine-learning-based behavior analysis system to immediately flag unusual user behavior. It also offers a "Threat Sharing" feature designed to facilitate anonymous communication between multiple medical device vendors. The software is compatible with a wide range of devices, from MRI machines to defibrillators. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Mike Kijewski, co-founder and chief scientific officer Brett Hemenway, Ph.D., and Eric Pancoast. MedCrypt closed a $750k seed financing and intends to use the proceeds to conduct commercial pilots with medical device vendors.