Participated · Equity · Jun 2026

Spot Biosystems is developing an engineered extracellular vesicle (EV) delivery platform designed to encapsulate large nucleic acid cargo and enable repeat, non-viral dosing to skeletal muscle. The company reported a peer-reviewed study in Nature Biomedical Engineering showing EV-delivered full-length dystrophin mRNA produced sustained protein expression and improved muscle function in DMD knockout mice and sustained expression without organ toxicity in non-human primates. Spot has launched an investigator-initiated first-in-human trial at Shanghai Children's Medical Center, where the first two pediatric patients demonstrated respective 1000%+ and 2000%+ increases in dystrophin after one month and functional improvement lasting up to six months after dosing cessation. The platform is positioned to overcome limitations of AAV-based approaches by supporting larger cargo and repeat dosing. Financially, Spot emerged from stealth with $40 million in venture financing from a syndicate including LDV Partners, IDG Capital, Advantech Capital, Tiger Jade Capital, Shanda Ventures, the Stanford StartX fund, and Saltagen Ventures. The company intends to use clinical data from the IIT to inform future regulatory pathways and further clinical development for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Led · Series A · Jul 2024

PulseMedica is developing an ophthalmic medical-device platform that uses 3D computer vision, real-time tracking, and femtosecond laser technology for non-invasive, automated imaging and treatment of eye floaters and other vitreoretinal disease. The company is advancing a floater imaging device and is conducting laser safety and feasibility studies to enable a first-in-human clinical trial. Recent funding is being used to accelerate clinical validation, support ongoing studies, and expand the technical and business teams in preparation for commercialization and regulatory approvals. Since 2020 PulseMedica has raised over CA$16M, including a CA$6.5M investment from a multinational strategic in 2023; it announced CA$12M raised to date as part of its pre-Series A financing. Product development progress includes seven prototype devices and the filing of 14 patents. PulseMedica is attracting interest from potential lead investors for an upcoming Series A round. PulseMedica is a University of Alberta spinoff building a fully automated platform that images the eye, determines treatment locations, and delivers therapy using lasers instead of injections. The company aims to demonstrate the safety and accuracy of its imaging and laser delivery systems through a first clinical trial beginning in June. That trial will test the system on 10–15 Edmonton patients with diabetic retinopathy. PulseMedica is finishing device build and pursuing Health Canada approvals ahead of the study, and has recently expanded its team and established a medical advisory board of ophthalmologists. The startup is working out of the MNP Tower in downtown Edmonton and plans to move to a larger space this summer. Financially, PulseMedica raised an oversubscribed $2.6M seed round and previously raised $1M in a 2020 pre-seed plus roughly $1M in grants. Once it accumulates clinical data the company expects to pursue a Series A targeting about US$10M, with a goal of making the technology available to clinicians by 2024.

Led · Seed · Jul 2022

Oncoustics develops ultrasound-based tissue characterization solutions that apply AI to raw ultrasound signals for noninvasive surveillance, diagnostics, and treatment monitoring. Its first product, the OnX Liver Assessment Solution, focuses on detecting structural liver diseases including fibrosis and steatosis. The company intends to advance its SaMD (software as a medical device) technology to enable low-cost assessment of structural diseases at point of care. Oncoustics plans regulatory submissions for the OnX solution in the United States (FDA 510(k)), Canada (Health Canada medical device license), and the European Union (CE Mark). The OnX Liver Assessment Solution has not been cleared for clinical use and is For Investigational Use Only. The company is led by CEO Beth Rogozinski.

Participated · Seed · May 2022

Evolved Meats (formerly CaroMeats) develops a species-agnostic cultivated meat platform that grows whole cuts structurally and biochemically identical to conventional meat. Its technology aims to recreate fibrous texture, marbling, taste, mouthfeel, and nutrition of steak, pork, chicken, fish and other cuts directly from cells. The company says it can grow functional tissue to enable a unique production system that could make it a low-cost operator. Evolved highlights sustainability benefits: using less land and water, generating fewer greenhouse gases, and harming 100% fewer animals than current meat production. Led by CEO Alireza Shahin, the team plans to accelerate product development and scale up production processes with newly raised capital.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2018

Black.ai is a Melbourne-based computer vision software startup founded in 2016 by Keaton Okkonen and Karthik Naarayanan. The company offers automated computer vision and privacy-first modeling algorithms that create highly granular, non-identifying datasets to improve management and planning of physical environments. Black.ai is building advanced systems that use computer vision and high-performance data organization to make human behaviors searchable through software. In June 2022 the company raised $5.4M in a Seed+ round led by Jelix Ventures, with support from Right Click Capital and several angel investors. The funding brings Black.ai's total raised to $8.55M. Proceeds will be used to double local headcount, expand industry reach, and build out insights-driven infrastructure. Black.ai develops robotics and AI sensor infrastructure using 3D depth sensors and tracking systems that recognise shopper movement and which items are picked up or put down. Initially focused on supermarket deployments, the system aims to reduce self-checkout errors (the article cites 3–8% incorrect fresh-food items) and could save stores an estimated $400,000–$600,000 per year through theft prevention and improved stock management. The company is in partnership talks with a major Australian supermarket chain while also pursuing broader applications in city streets, construction sites and fleet robots. Black.ai is building a shared sensor infrastructure so robots can plug in and share data, allowing each bot to sense beyond its own sensors. The founders say large-scale fleet robot adoption is three to five years away and they are positioning the company to capture that market. The startup raised $1.2 million in seed funding to fund hiring, faster product development, scaling and testing of new technologies.