Participated · Seed · Mar 2026

TippingPoint Biosciences builds a novel drug discovery platform that recreates disease-specific chromatin environments to expose transient protein–protein interfaces within the epigenome that are otherwise inaccessible. The company aims to discover first-in-class, highly selective drugs that target these epigenetic interfaces while sparing healthy cells. TippingPoint’s initial therapeutic focus is on Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an aggressive pediatric brainstem tumor driven by chromatin dysfunction. The company was co-founded by Laura Hsieh and chromatin biologist Geeta Narlikar and was spun out of Narlikar’s lab at UCSF. TippingPoint has raised $2.5 million in pre-seed financing including non-dilutive grants and foundation support, received several Golden Ticket awards, and has now closed a $4.5 million seed round to advance its lead program and expand its discovery platform. The platform is described as applicable to multiple disease areas including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and developmental disorders.

Participated · Seed · Nov 2025

Cordance Medical is building a noninvasive focused ultrasound system designed to temporarily and safely open the blood-brain barrier (BBB), enabling drugs and other therapeutic agents to reach the brain more effectively. The platform employs patient-specific signal processing with real-time monitoring of BBB opening and avoids the need for head fixation or live imaging, targeting practical outpatient use. While its first clinical application is brain cancer, the company envisions broader utility across multiple neurological conditions. Cordance has already secured FDA Breakthrough Device Designation in neuro-oncology and received a grant from the National Cancer Institute at the NIH to help fund its first-in-human U.S. trial. Proceeds from its recent seed financing will advance this clinical study and further product development. Based in Mountain View, California, the firm is supported by a strong syndicate of healthcare and neuro-oncology investors. The company has not disclosed revenue, user numbers, or other operating metrics.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2025

AiM Medical Robotics is building a compact, portable robotic platform that operates directly inside an MRI scanner, giving neurosurgeons continuous, real-time imaging while they position instruments. The technology targets deep-brain stimulation lead placement for Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, and can be adapted for cranial biopsies, tumor and epilepsy ablations, and targeted intracranial drug delivery. By eliminating the need to shuttle patients between the operating room and imaging suite, the system seeks to make procedures faster, safer, and more precise, lowering both risk and cost. The company plans to layer artificial intelligence onto the platform so it can learn from surgical data, optimize workflows, and provide predictive guidance. AiM estimates its initial DBS market opportunity at $7.9 billion. Including the new capital, the company has secured over $11.3 million in equity funding, supplemented by significant federal grants. The fresh funds will support first-in-human trials, regulatory progress, and expansion of strategic partnerships.

Participated · Equity · Sep 2025

FYR Bio (FYR Diagnostics Inc) is a Missoula-based biotechnology company using its EV-Omics (EVO) platform to isolate and analyze disease-specific extracellular vesicles from a simple blood draw. The platform combines proprietary SPARCs™ chemistry with AI-driven multiomic analytics to convert complex EV cargo into clinically actionable protein and nucleic-acid biomarkers. FYR’s technology is already deployed across multiple solid-tumor programs and is now expanding into neuro-oncology and neurodegeneration. Recent data presented at the Society for Neuro-Oncology showed the assay could differentiate malignant gliomas from healthy controls with 100 % specificity and 89 % sensitivity (AUC = 0.99). In neurodegeneration, the company is pursuing Parkinson’s disease biomarkers for patient stratification and pharmacodynamic monitoring. The newly secured $8 million financing strengthens its balance sheet and will fund program expansion, dataset growth, and commercial partnerships. FYR’s blood-based, non-invasive approach aims to accelerate drug development and improve patient outcomes from screening through treatment monitoring.

Participated · Series B · May 2025

Alpheus Medical develops a proprietary sonodynamic therapy platform that pairs Low‑Intensity Diffuse Ultrasound (LIDU™) with oral 5‑ALA, a tumor‑selective sensitizer, to deliver non‑thermal, tumor‑targeted treatment. The therapy is designed to be performed in an outpatient setting and to selectively destroy cancer cells across a brain hemisphere without the need for imaging or sedation. Early results from two studies in newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma patients have shown promise. The company collaborates with global neuro‑oncology leaders and is supported by healthcare investors and nonprofit venture vehicles focused on cancer. Recent financing will fund a randomized Phase 2B controlled trial evaluating SDT’s efficacy in newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Alpheus is based in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Alpheus Medical is developing a non-invasive sonodynamic therapy (SDT) drug-device combination that uses a sonosensitizer activated by low-intensity ultrasound to selectively kill cancer cells. The lead product is designed for outpatient, repeatable whole-hemisphere treatment of recurrent high-grade gliomas, including rGBM, and eliminates the requirement for concomitant imaging. The therapy aims to address the heterogeneous and diffuse nature of glioblastoma by treating both the primary tumor site and diseased tissue throughout the hemisphere. The company reports the therapy is in early clinical stage use and is not yet commercially available. Alpheus has support from the American Cancer Society and the National Brain Tumor Society and is based in Oakdale, Minn. The recently closed financing will be used to advance a multi-site first-in-human trial evaluating safety, feasibility, and molecular and clinical effects.