Participated · Series B · Dec 2019

Garwood Medical Devices is a Buffalo, N.Y.-based developer of medical device technology founded in July 2014 and led by CEO Wayne Bacon. The company holds the exclusive license for the core BioPrax technology developed by the University at Buffalo and has 10 registered and pending patents. Its lead product, BioPrax, is a minimally invasive device under investigation to determine whether it can help eliminate biofilm infections on prosthetic joints during early-intervention procedures. The FDA granted BioPrax Breakthrough Device Designation on October 11, 2019. The company planned swine studies beginning in September and first-in-human studies in the third quarter of 2021. Garwood intends to use recently raised funds to conduct additional preclinical testing for BioPrax. Garwood Medical Devices is a Buffalo, N.Y.-based company developing the BioPrax™ minimally invasive device to eliminate biofilm infections on prosthetic knee implants during early intervention procedures. BioPrax has been granted Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA and is under evaluation for knee implant biofilm infection control. The company says the technology could potentially be applied to other implanted metal devices, including all artificial joints, bone screws and plates, and dental implants. Garwood closed a $3.7M Series B to fund continued research and testing of BioPrax and to support an FDA submission. This Series B adds to a $3.6M Series A financing that closed in September 2016. Leadership includes CEO Wayne Bacon and Brian Peterson, VP of Engineering and CTO.

Participated · Series B · Dec 2019

Viridi Parente develops fail-safe, point-of-use lithium-ion battery systems for mobile and stationary applications. Its Green Machine brand supplies portable packs for construction and heavy industrial markets and has logged over 250,000 hours of field use. Its Volta Energy brand offers fail-safe stationary battery systems configurable from 50 kWh to 5 MW for data centers, manufacturing, commercial, medical, residential and other occupied spaces. The company emphasizes safety and resilience using materials and thermal management technologies derived from aerospace and military applications and is partnering with KULR Technology Group to integrate patented safety tech. Viridi aims to manufacture its fail-safe battery technology at scale and to repurpose abandoned manufacturing sites to create jobs in economically depressed urban areas. The company recently completed a significant financing to support increased production and broader market deployment. Viridi Parente manufactures renewable power systems that use proprietary lithium-ion cells, modules, and drives for industrial applications, microgrid storage, and replacements for fossil fuel–based engine systems. Through subsidiaries Green Machine Equipment (launched in 2010) and Volta Energy Products (founded in 2017), the company focuses on replacing diesel power sources and designing in-place distributed energy systems that provide instantaneous backup, peak shave demand costs, and a balanced energy profile. Led by Chairman & CEO Jon M. Williams, Viridi Parente develops systems for heavy machinery and storage applications and for microgrid deployments. The company is preparing to install its first distributed storage system to support a high-powered cryo-electron microscope at the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute in Buffalo. Financially, Viridi Parente secured a $29M Series B that values the company at approximately $80M. The round was led by Grand Oaks Capital with participation from Impact Capital of New York, Varia Ventures, the Western New York Impact Investment Fund, and private investors.

Participated · Seed · May 2019

SomaDetect has developed an in-line sensor that emits light into milk hoses and analyzes scatter patterns to determine somatic cell counts, a direct indicator of mastitis. The device combines computer vision and deep neural networks to build algorithms that predict relevant compounds and early infections. The startup has been trialing the technology with partner Summitholm Holsteins and is planning broader beta tests at Canadian dairy farms. After beta trials the company intends to begin taking orders for the sensor; an ideal customer farm is described as around 2,000 cows. SomaDetect positions its product as a seamless, farmer-first integration into milking systems to reduce milk loss and early-detect infections that cost roughly $200 per cow per year. The company is preparing for commercialization while building customer deployments and data to refine its models. SomaDetect produces an in-line sensor that attaches to a tablet alongside the milking hose and uses light scattering, computer vision, and deep neural networks to measure somatic cell counts and other milk compounds. The sensor analyzes scatter patterns to determine cell counts, enabling twice-daily monitoring of individual cows during milking and delivering real-time alerts to farmers. SomaDetect positions this continuous monitoring as a faster, more actionable alternative to monthly lab sampling that can take a week to return results. The company is collecting data at scale and aims to transition from tens of thousands to millions of data points to improve its algorithms and product. Management sees opportunities to expand the technology into other on-farm applications such as breeding and broader milk-quality monitoring, while prioritizing earning farmers’ trust through reliable core functionality. The business faces adoption headwinds from subscription cost sensitivity among farmers but is supported by early adopters and industry partnerships. SomaDetect offers a data-driven herd-monitoring system that gives farmers actionable information to produce higher-quality milk. The company was one of two winners of Communitech’s Fierce Founders bootcamp pitch finale and received a $50,000 award. The bootcamp targets early-stage entrepreneurs at MVP or pre‑MVP stage and included 20 participating startups, nine of which pitched in the finale. As a winner, SomaDetect was invited to join the third cohort of the Fierce Founders Accelerator, a six‑month program that provides mentorship and requires entrepreneurs to match at least $30,000 in funding. The article does not disclose revenue, user metrics, prior financings, or founders beyond the award and accelerator invitation.