Participated · Equity · Sep 2021

Abterra Biosciences (formerly Digital Proteomics) is a CRO that combines next-generation sequencing, mass spectrometry and machine-learning methods to map the antibody response and identify therapeutic antibodies. The company was founded in 2009 by Dr. Pavel Pevzner and Dr. Vineet Bafna, whose algorithmic work underpins its products and services. After joining the University of San Diego's Brink SBDC in July 2018, Abterra expanded its team to nine employees and hired a Marketing Manager and a Senior Bioinformatic Scientist. In February 2021 it was awarded two NIH SBIR grants to further develop its immune-response analysis technology, and it also advanced seed fundraising through angel conference competitions in 2021. Between Q1 2020 and Q1 2021 Abterra reported 90% revenue growth and says it is continuing to accelerate sales. The company is building a drug-discovery platform aimed at transforming cancer treatment and expects additional publications from ongoing pilot projects.

Participated · Seed · Apr 2018

SafKan Health is a Seattle, WA-based medical device company led by CEO Sahil Diwan. The company developed the FDA-cleared OtoSet® Ear Cleaning System, an automated, wearable ear-cleaning device that resembles a pair of headphones. OtoSet combines a novel system of irrigation and continuous micro-suction delivered through disposable ear tips and into disposable waste containers for a quick, clean procedure. The device is available for Americans affected by earwax buildup, a population that includes two-thirds of nursing home residents. SafKan intends to use new funding to expand operations and broaden its business reach. Financially, the company raised $8M in a Series A, bringing total funding to $13M to date. SafKan Health develops OtoSet, a novel cerumen removal system designed to address impacted earwax. The company is based in Holland, Mich. and is led by Co-Founder and CEO Sahil Diwan. It is currently progressing a beta program and partnering with U.S. health systems to develop and publish case studies. The company received an investment and will use the funds to secure 510k clearance, build initial inventory and pursue targeted commercialization. No revenue or user metrics were disclosed in the article. SafKan Health makes the OtoSet, a pair of headphones that can professionally clean a patient's ears in about 35 seconds. The device uses nozzles to spray a mix of warm water and hydrogen peroxide into the ear canal and suctions the fluid and earwax back into the unit to avoid messy spills. SafKan plans an initial rollout to U.S. hospitals on the West Coast, with primary care doctors and otolaryngologists at University of Washington Medicine, Stanford Medicine, Cedars‑Sinai, and Providence Saint John’s Health Center slated to use the OtoSet later this year. The device is currently available only to medical professionals, and the company intends to expand into the consumer market in the future. Co‑founded by CEO Sahil Diwan and CTO/inventor Aadil Diwan, the company says the OtoSet makes ear cleaning faster, more comfortable, and more profitable for providers. SafKan employs eight people and plans to grow its team. It raised a $1 million seed round to help launch the device in U.S. hospitals. SafKan develops the SafKan Set, a headphones-style medical device that sprays warm water and hydrogen peroxide into the ear canal and suctions out loosened earwax in roughly 35 seconds. The device is designed for use by physicians and care providers to treat impacted earwax more efficiently than current low-tech irrigation methods. Founders include biomedical engineer Aadil Diwan, his brother Sahil Diwan, and engineering PhD students from the University of Arizona; the company was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Seattle with some engineers in Tucson. To date all prototypes and early models have been 3D-printed; SafKan intends to manufacture its first batch for physicians and to run an FDA clinical trial required for low-level devices. The company plans a recurring-revenue model by selling packs of the water/hydrogen peroxide mix and disposable nozzle tips alongside the device. SafKan currently has seven employees and is preparing for beta testing and regulatory approval timelines described in its public statements.

Participated · Equity · Jul 2017

Sharkbite Games is an eight-person studio made up of industry veterans working on PC and mobile titles. The team is developing two games: a casual mobile game due later this year and a more ambitious multiplayer title targeting PC and mobile for the mid-core space planned for 2019. The company was founded last year in Bellevue, Wash., and may explore virtual reality in the future. Sharkbite’s culture goal is to be a high-caliber studio where people love to work and play. The founders have not disclosed a revenue model and said the company will announce more later this year. Prior to the recent round, initial funding came from founder Rick Ellis, family and friends.

Participated · Seed · Feb 2016

Tenacity builds software that applies social physics to identify cultural problems within workplaces and deploy data-driven solutions to improve productivity and reduce attrition. The platform encourages employees to set personal and work-related goals—ranging from stress reduction to fitness—and uses social incentives such as accountability partners and Amazon gift-card rewards to drive engagement. Tenacity has chosen to begin in the contact center industry and is currently piloting its service with a large telecom company. The company originated from research at MIT’s media lab and was born in an MIT entrepreneurship class; its founders later graduated from the Techstars Kansas City accelerator. Tenacity relocated to Seattle in 2014 and is led by CEO Ron Davis and CTO John Vogel. The 7-person company has raised a total of $1.9 million to date.

Participated · Equity · Nov 2015

Sqoop builds data-journalism tools that help reporters search and unlock information in public data sources, including the SEC, the Patent Office and PACER. The service is used by reporters at the three national daily newspapers and three of the four national broadcast networks, and the company estimates nearly 7% penetration of the business journalism market. Sqoop reports its journalist user base has been growing about 30% month over month and is currently prioritizing adoption over revenue. Founder Bill Hankes, a former PR director at Bing and ex-VP of communications at RealNetworks, is leading product development and fundraising. The company participated in a 500 Startups accelerator program as part of its recent funding. Sqoop plans to add search for trademarks and FCC and FDA documents plus new geographic and industry filtering tools to expand its research capabilities.