Participated · Series E · May 2021

Binx Health is a medical technology and diagnostic services provider. The company supplies testing, diagnostic and treatment services to clinics using its binx io testing instrument and a cartridge-based system. The binx io instrument and its cartridge are presented as the company’s core diagnostic products. According to the article, Binx Health recently completed a $65 million Series F financing. The reported financing round involved outside investors led by Hildred Capital with participation from EQT Life Sciences. binx health develops the binx io rapid molecular point-of-care testing platform, a CLIA‑waived solution that enables testing, diagnosis and treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhea during the same visit. The company supplies in‑clinic and at‑retail locations with its testing instrument and single‑use cartridges and is led by CEO Jeff Luber. It is expanding the platform into COVID‑19 testing by combining proprietary electrochemical detection with CRISPR methods. binx health plans to use recent funding to ramp manufacturing, scale its instrument and cartridges, expand sales in the U.S. and abroad, and further build out its proprietary software platform and data infrastructure. The company describes itself as a healthcare technology and diagnostics firm focused on rapid molecular point‑of‑care testing. Atlas Genetics is a Bath, England–based company that develops ultra-rapid point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostic tests for infectious diseases. Its io® system is a molecular diagnostic platform built on a patent-protected electrochemical sensor technology. The system uses an integrated cartridge containing all reagents designed to accept an unprocessed clinical specimen; each cartridge can detect up to 24 different genetic targets. The company plans to use recent financing to support clinical trials and the commercial launch of a second test for detection of both Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, targeting US regulatory approvals around the end of 2017. Atlas also intends to further develop its diagnostics menu and expand cartridge manufacturing capacity at Bespak. The company maintains a commercial office in Boston and is led by CEO Dr. John Clarkson. The firm reported closing a $35m Series D to fund these activities. Atlas Genetics develops the io(R) system, a novel point-of-care molecular diagnostic platform based on a patent‑protected electrochemical sensor technology that combines speed, accuracy and low manufacturing costs. The fully integrated cartridge contains all reagents, accepts an unprocessed clinical specimen and completes sample preparation, DNA amplification and electrochemical detection. Each cartridge can run up to 24 different tests from a single patient sample. The system is at an advanced stage of development and is expected to launch in Europe with a Chlamydia test later this year. The company plans to use the new funding to launch the io(R) system, initiate U.S. clinical trials and expand its test menu in STI and HAI markets. Atlas is led by CEO Dr John Clarkson. Atlas Genetics develops rapid decentralized and point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostic tests for a range of infectious diseases, including sexually transmitted and hospital-acquired infections. Its Atlas io™ system is a patented electrochemical sensor–based molecular diagnostic platform that combines speed and accuracy while removing the need for costly optical components. The company is led by CEO Dr John Clarkson. Atlas intends to use the new funding to complete the transfer to manufacture of the Atlas io™ system and to file for European approval of its first Chlamydia test. The article reports a Series B financing, reflecting an active fundraising stage to support product commercialization and regulatory approval.

Participated · Series E · May 2021

Sera Prognostics develops blood-based biomarker tests focused on maternal and neonatal health. Its first commercial product, the PreTRM® Test, is a clinically validated, commercially available blood-based biomarker test to accurately predict the risk of preterm birth. The company is led by Chairman and CEO Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S. Sera is building a pipeline of additional blood-based biomarker tests to predict other major pregnancy-related conditions beyond preterm birth. With the new financing the company plans to commercialize PreTRM® more broadly and accelerate development of its pipeline. It also intends to develop testing capacity to serve over 3 million annual U.S. pregnancies that are candidates for the PreTRM® Test. Sera Prognostics develops diagnostics to improve prenatal care by predicting individualized risk of preterm birth and other pregnancy complications. Its core product, the PreTRM test, is the only clinically-validated, commercially available biomarker blood test that assesses a woman’s individualized risk of premature delivery as early as 19 weeks' gestation. PreTRM measures proteins in the blood that are highly predictive of spontaneous preterm birth and is intended to enable earlier, more proactive clinical decisions designed to prolong gestation, improve neonatal health, and lower healthcare costs. The company plans to increase commercialization of PreTRM and to measure real-world clinical improvements and economic savings in collaboration with top health plans and providers. Sera is presented as a leading authority in biomarker preterm birth risk prediction, citing a key scientific publication in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Sera Prognostics is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sera Prognostics, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, develops women's health diagnostics aimed at improving outcomes for pregnant women and newborns. Its lead product, the PreTRM test, uses a routine second‑trimester blood sample to provide an early, individualized assessment of a woman's risk of preterm birth. The company planned to launch PreTRM in 2015; upon U.S. launch commercial testing will be performed at its CLIA laboratory with results returned to referring physicians. Sera received a $10M debt facility from Square 1 Bank and intends to use the proceeds to increase commercialization efforts. The PreTRM test is intended to enable physicians to better understand individualized preterm birth risk earlier in pregnancy and personalize care. Sera Prognostics develops tests to diagnose preterm birth and other pregnancy complications. The company is based in Salt Lake City, UT. Its lead product is a preterm birth diagnostic test that the company is preparing for commercial launch. The company plans to use newly raised funds for clinical trials and the commercial launch of that test. Sera raised $19.3M in a Series A financing to support these plans. As part of the financing, representatives from lead investors will join the company's board and the company appointed Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D. as CEO.

Participated · Series D · Apr 2021

Lumicks develops platforms for Dynamic Single-Molecule and Cell Avidity analysis, including the C-Trap® Optical Tweezers — Fluorescence Microscopy and the z-Movi® Cell Avidity Analyzer. The company’s tools leverage technologies such as optical tweezers and STED super-resolution to enable real-time analysis of complex biological processes and immune cell–target interactions. Its C-Trap product allows scientists to analyze complex biological processes in real time, while the z-Movi enables measurement and selection of immune cells based on their real-time interactions with target cells. Founded in 2014 as an academic spin-off from research groups at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Lumicks is led by CEO Olivier Heyning and is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In April 2021 it closed a $93M Series D financing. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate growth initiatives, including expansion of both research and development and commercial activities for the z-Movi Cell Avidity Analyzer.