• Veralox Therapeutics

  Participated · Series A · Jun 2021

  Veralox Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class therapeutics that target the 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) pathway. Its lead candidate, VLX-1005, is in development for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) and has U.S. orphan drug designation and FDA Fast Track designation. The company is preparing a Phase 2a proof-of-concept study in HIT and is also developing second-generation products for type 1 diabetes and other immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases. In June 2023 Veralox announced a $24 million financing that the company said fully funds the Phase 2a clinical program for VLX-1005. In conjunction with the financing the company named Jonathan Mow as CEO and added Peter Young of Pappas Capital to its board, with Meg Wood of NYBC Ventures joining as an observer. Veralox is based in Frederick, Maryland. Veralox Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing small-molecule therapeutics to treat the underlying causes of diseases with significant unmet medical needs. The company is led by University of Maryland graduate Jeffrey Strovel, PhD, who serves as chief executive officer. Veralox announced the closing of a $16 million Series A financing in June 2021. Investors in the round include Sanofi Ventures, Genesys Capital, Hatteras Venture Partners, JDRF T1D Fund, Point Field Partners, VTC Innovation Fund, the University System of Maryland Momentum Fund, and TEDCO. Veralox was an early portfolio company of the USM Momentum Fund, which made a $500,000 seed investment in 2019. The Momentum Fund has also provided connections to potential partners and strategic counsel, which the company cites as contributing to its growth. Veralox Therapeutics is a preclinical-stage biopharma company focused on developing first-in-class inhibitors of 12‑LOX, an enzyme implicated in platelet activation and cellular stress signaling. Its lead candidate, VLX-1005, was discovered and developed in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz, Thomas Jefferson University, the NIH, and Eastern Virginia Medical School. The company intends to develop VLX-1005 initially for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (HITT/HIT) and is advancing second-generation products for type 1 diabetes and other immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases. The new capital will be used to support preclinical development and to prepare for clinical studies in patients. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Maryland, Veralox was founded by Jeffrey Strovel, David Maloney, and Matthew Boxer. No revenues or operating metrics were disclosed in the announcement.

• Dive Technologies

  Participated · Equity · Dec 2020

  Dive Technologies designs and manufactures autonomous underwater vehicles, including the commercial DIVE-LD AUV and a customizable commercial AUV Kit. The DIVE-LD is a 4' diameter, 19' long vehicle rated for up to ten days of mission endurance and depths to 6,000 meters. The AUV Kit lets customers customize vehicles using Dive’s manufacturing processes. The company is pursuing a Robot-as-a-Service business model and sees demand from commercial offshore wind, oil and gas, deep-sea exploration, and government customers. Proceeds from the recent financing will be used to realize 2021 sales opportunities and to accelerate geographic expansion and new partnerships. Total funding to date is $9.5 million.

• BRAINBox Solutions

  Participated · Series A · Dec 2020

  BRAINBox Solutions is developing an AI-enabled, multi-modality approach to diagnose and prognose mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) that combines a proprietary panel of blood biomarkers with a digital neurocognitive testing platform to produce a composite TBI injury score. The company is working to deliver both point-of-care instruments and laboratory-based assays that can read the biomarker panel rapidly, and recently validated assay performance in a feasibility study on Prolight Diagnostics' Psyro/Pyros platform using 260 samples from its HeadSMART II pivotal trial. BRAINBox has entered a development agreement with Prolight to adapt that platform and plans to develop advanced hardware and software and acquire pilot instruments. The company intends to deploy its tests in hospital labs as well as clinics, ambulances, emergency departments, nursing homes, and athletic facilities. BRAINBox is led by physician and scientific thought leaders and an experienced clinically focused management team.

• Farmer Focus

  Participated · Equity · Dec 2019

  Shenandoah Valley Organic (SVO) is a Harrisonburg, Va.-based organic meat company that produces the Farmer Focus™ brand and emphasizes traceability. The company was founded in 2014 by CEO Corwin Heatwole and positions itself as mission-based and values-driven. Through its business model, farmers receive fair compensation and retain decision-making for their businesses. SVO closed a $15M funding round to support its growth. The company intends to use the proceeds for plant modernization to increase throughput volumes and to expand marketing and brand outreach. Those efforts are aimed at growing Farmer Focus fresh and value-add product sales in leading grocery stores and retail locations throughout the United States.

• Growers

  Participated · Series A · Sep 2018

  Growers offers a combined software-plus-service platform that captures highly accurate field data at scale and delivers soil analytics, hybrid selection, and product placement recommendations. The company emphasizes brand-agnostic, independent recommendations validated across hundreds of thousands of acres and routinely delivers 10–20% yield improvements according to investor commentary. Growers says its platform has generated $50M in incremental crop revenue since inception and reduced commercial fertilizer application by over 160M tons. Its recommendations routinely produce a 3–5x ROI, with customers reporting bottom-line increases of more than $100 per acre. The company plans to use new funding to accelerate software development and expand a channel-based business beyond its historical direct-to-farmer model. Growers is led by founder and CEO Steven Valencsin, employs about 30 people across a 15-state territory, and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina and Seattle, Washington.

No current team members are available.