DENVER, June 25, 2024 — INVI MindHealth, a pioneering mental health technology company, proudly announces the successful close of its $1.5 million Series Seed funding round. The proceeds from this funding round will be strategically utilized to enhance the current INVI Mindhealth application, driving innovation to improve user experience and the integration of content from experts on a range of mental health topics and solutions. Funds will also help to create a robust dashboard tool for leaders called “Overwatch,” so leaders can monitor and support the wellbeing of their teams.

“INVI MindHealth was started after multiple SEAL Team teammates of mine took their lives,” said Jonathan Wilson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “The Veteran suicide rate was moving in the wrong direction and the current medical model felt ill-equiped and overwhelmed in addressing this epidemic. Realizing that mental health challenges were not agnostic to just Veterans but impact almost everyone, we felt an obligation to do something about it. This investment will accelerate the development of our innovative mental health platform,” Wilson said.

INVI MindHealth has partnered with first responders and government agencies, such as a Los Angeles based Special Tactics Team. Team leaders and 35 SWAT officers are leveraging the platform to enhance understanding of their mental health, improve overall wellbeing, and provide appropriate overwatch for each other. The platform will help this team mitigate the effects of high stress environments on the nervous system by offering tools and insights based on rigorous research.

In addition, INVI Mindhealth is currently conducting research to deepen the understanding of boundary-pushing mental health treatments. In collaboration with a leading university in Texas, the company is conducting a longitudinal observational pilot study involving 40 veterans with PTSD undergoing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. The study will include clinical and neurobiological assessments, with INVI collecting biometric data through wearable devices and capturing participants’ baselines and changes induced by the psychedelic intervention focusing on heart rate variability, heart rate and sleep.

Founded in 2020 during Wilson’s studies at The University of Oxford, INVI MindHealth aims to revolutionize mental health care by utilizing predictive analytics to detect decreases in mental wellbeing. The platform combines biometrics, deep learning analytics, artificial intelligence, and human networks to offer comprehensive mental health solutions. It creates a support team to help people in need, and offers personalized solutions that address the unique challenges faced by those in high-stress professions.

INVI MindHealth’s app is available to iOS and Android users. It leverages the connectivity of the autonomic nervous system and the mind to provide actionable analysis. INVI features a unique swim buddy system that keeps you connected to your teammate and your team where you can share your MindScore™ with one buddy or your entire team. INVI sends alerts if your buddy goes dark to establish accountability and support. INVI allows you to connect your wearable devices (Apple Watch, Garmin, etc) and your Apple Health data. 

For more information, please visit www.invimh.com.

About INVI MindHealth: INVI Mindhealth’s mission is to save lives by making the invisible visible. The company is dedicated to transforming mental health care through innovative technology and personalized support. By leveraging advanced analytics and expert insights, INVI Mindhealth can empower individuals and teams to achieve optimal mental health and resilience.

SOURCE INVI Mindhealth

Series A co-led by Novartis Venture Fund and Delos Capital, with participation from OrbiMed, Insight Partners, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, CRISPR Therapeutics, Innovation Endeavors, Invus, Arc Ventures, and Deep Insight

Company is developing a new class of genomic medicines based on naturally occurring genetic elements that may be delivered using mRNA and lipid nanoparticles to precisely and durably insert entire genes into safe harbor sites in the human genome

Company is focused on advancing medicines that can be redosed and titrated with curative intent for patients suffering from genetic diseases, cancer, and autoimmune conditions

BOSTON, June 25, 2024 — Exsilio Therapeutics (“Exsilio”), a biotechnology company developing genomic medicines for a broad range of diseases, announced today its emergence from stealth with $82 million in Series A financing. The funding was co-led by Novartis Venture Fund and Delos Capital, with participation from OrbiMed, Insight Partners, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, CRISPR Therapeutics, Innovation Endeavors, Invus, Arc Ventures, and Deep Insight. Exsilio was seed-funded by OrbiMed.

Exsilio will use proceeds from the financing to advance its genomic medicines based on naturally occurring, programmable genetic elements that can precisely insert new genes into a cell through mRNA intermediates. Exsilio’s interdisciplinary team has built a platform that combines predictive in silico modeling and wet lab-based experimentation to discover and engineer such elements for integration of therapeutic genes into safe harbor sites. Because Exsilio’s medicines are encoded in mRNA, they can be delivered using existing lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platforms that are safe, efficient, scalable, and cost-effective, and can be redosed and titrated with curative intent.

“mRNA-based medicines allow for a software-like approach to creating new medicines,” said Tal Zaks, M.D., Ph.D., who serves as Exsilio’s Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer. “Exsilio’s approach leverages the advantages of mRNA and goes a step further by encoding genes that integrate permanently, offering the possibility of curative rather than transient effects. The ability to insert whole genes with a repeatable and titratable approach should allow us to treat genetic diseases irrespective of the patient’s individual mutation. This financing will help us advance our genomic medicines and select promising lead candidates so that we can bring much-needed new options to patients.”

“We were captivated by Exsilio’s genomic medicines approach that stands to enable large-gene integration in a safe and redosable manner,” said Aaron Nelson, Managing Director at Novartis Venture Fund and Exsilio Board Member. “Through this significant investment, Exsilio will be able to select and advance promising candidates for difficult-to-treat diseases.”

“We believe that the vision of safely and durably integrating therapeutic genes into a patient’s genome requires using RNA-based payloads that can leverage clinically validated non-viral gene delivery technologies,” said Henry Chen, Managing Partner of Delos Capital and Exsilio Board Member. “Exsilio is bringing together a singular group of people to help establish this new pillar of genomic medicine.”

About Exsilio Therapeutics
Exsilio Therapeutics is developing genomic medicines that can be delivered in lipid nanoparticles to durably and safely treat a broad range of diseases, including genetic diseases, cancer, and autoimmune conditions. Exsilio’s technology is based on naturally occurring genetic elements that can precisely insert new genes into a cell through RNA intermediate templates. Exsilio uses predictive in silico modeling and wet lab-based experimentation to engineer such elements for precise insertion of therapeutic genes into safe harbor sites of disease-relevant cells. Because Exsilio’s medicines are encoded in mRNA, they can be delivered using validated, non-viral delivery platforms that are safe, efficient, scalable, and cost-effective, and that allow redosing to effect with a curative intent. For more information, follow us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Exsilio

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 24, 2024 — Heyday Health, the nation’s first virtual-forward value-based care provider focused on Medicare and dual-eligible patients, announced today that it has raised $12.5 million from Gradient (Google), Lionbird, a large national payor, Great Oaks Capital, and Kate Ryder, CEO of Maven Clinic.

The funding will enable Heyday to expand its mission to provide Medicare and dual-eligible patients with high-quality, accessible, and compassionate care from the comfort of their homes.

Heyday’s virtual-forward model starts with a comprehensive physical, behavioral, and social assessment conducted in patients’ homes, or wherever they call home. Every patient enjoys 24/7 access to a personalized care team comprised of a physician, a nurse practitioner, and a Health Ally that works with them to design and manage care plans that strive to keep them happy, healthy, and at home.

Heyday care teams work closely with family members and caregivers who serve as critical partners in optimizing patient outcomes while sharing the burden of caretaking with a professional team. Heyday’s care team also includes behavioral health and clinical pharmacy providers who help manage behavioral health conditions and complex medication regimens.

Purpose-built technology powers Heyday’s care model, enabling frictionless access to video visits for patients and streamlined market operations for its in-home and virtual care teams.

Heyday has been delivering on the Triple Aim since its inception, generating exceptional quality (4+ Star performance 3 years running), patient experience (NPS 85), and lowering costs by reducing inpatient admissions and ER visits.

With this funding, Heyday is expanding into the Cincinnati/Dayton area in Southwest Ohio and the Louisville area in Kentucky, and has positioned itself for long-term success.

“Our mission is to democratize access to the type of care we want our own families to enjoy,” says Founder and CEO Bobby Shady. “We set out to do this not only in major metropolitan areas, but starting in geographies that could offer a model for the rest of the nation. Three years onward, Heyday has enjoyed the privilege of caring for thousands of patients and is humbled by the opportunity to expand our impact.”

Founded in 2020 by Mr. Shady, Dr. Nupur Mehta, and Sarafina Midzik, Heyday has been caring for patients in Ohio since 2021 and Kentucky since 2023. Heyday is excited for this next phase in its organizational journey.

About Heyday Health

Heyday Health is a virtual-forward value-based care provider focused on Medicare and dual-eligible patients. Heyday provides in-home and virtual care to complex patients with a personalized, multidisciplinary, and accessible care team that takes the time to get to know them and their lived experiences. Knowing that the majority of health outcomes are determined outside of the walls of healthcare settings, Heyday goes to the source – patients’ daily lives.

For more information, visit www.heydayhealth.com

SOURCE Heyday Health

HUNTINGTON, N.Y., June 24, 2024 — Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical is pleased to announce the successful completion of participant enrollment for the clinical trial of its innovative therapeutic, SJP-002C in partnership with Duke University. This milestone marks a significant step forward in the development of an effective and affordable treatment with the potential to reduce symptoms and tissue damage from Upper Respiratory Infections (URIs)/COVID.

Key Highlights:

• Full Enrollment Achieved: The trial protocol called for 150 participants, and we are proud to report that this target has been met. Initially, recruitment was slow with only 15 participants. However, after opening two additional sites, we successfully recruited 135 participants within five months, demonstrating Sen-Jam’s capability to mobilize resources and commitment to advancing this crucial research.
• Safety Profile: To date, no serious side effects have been associated with SJP-002C, putting Sen-Jam into a position to achieve our primary endpoint of safety for this innovative combination product.
• Mechanism of Action: SJP-002C acts as a multi-targeted anti-inflammatory with antiviral capabilities that are effective against various viral strains. This makes our product suitable for a broad population seeking to reduce symptoms and prevent respiratory infections from advancing to pneumonia and cytokine storm.
• Patent Protection: SJP-002C is patent-protected, ensuring exclusive rights to market this novel therapeutic globally.
• Manufacturing Plans: Our partner KVK-Tech, is currently scheduled to submit FDA manufacturing batches by Q4-2024. Our goal is to offer this treatment at a significantly lower cost than existing options such as Paxlovid, making it accessible to a larger patient population without creating a multitude of drug-drug interactions.
• Investor Appeal: With a market opportunity valued at $35 billion for respiratory infections and $16 billion for COVID therapeutics, SJP-002C is poised to capture significant market share. Its unique combination of safety, efficacy, and affordability positions it as a highly attractive investment opportunity with substantial growth potential.
• Next Steps: With the anticipation of positive results, we plan to seek FDA approval to commence Phase 3 clinical trials.

“We are thrilled to reach this important milestone in our clinical trial for SJP-002C,” said Jim Iversen, Co-Founder and CEO of Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical. “Our ability to rapidly enroll participants and the absence of serious side effects are promising indicators of the potential impact of this treatment. We are committed to advancing this therapy to provide a safe, effective, and affordable solution for patients worldwide.”

Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical is actively seeking retail investors, investment partners and strategic collaborations to support the Phase 3 clinical trials and global licensing for commercialization of SJP-002C. They also are advancing ten other novel assets with three of them at or approaching Phase 2 clinical trial work. Their platform aims to revolutionize the way the world treats inflammation and the way the pharmaceutical industry treats humanity.

About Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical: Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical is a drug innovation company dedicated to improving societal wellbeing by developing novel solutions for pain and inflammation. The company’s mission is to forge a new path to better health by creating safe and efficacious therapies for some of the world’s most widespread health challenges. Sen-Jam’s innovative approach and dedication to responsible drug development position it at the forefront of life-enhancing pharmaceutical breakthroughs.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical
Christine Leonard
781-913-1902
[email protected] 

SOURCE Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical

The company will also adopt a new name to better communicate its capabilities as an HR SaaS platform for the Supply Chain

NEW YORK, June 24, 2024 — Wilya, formerly known as Gig and Take, an innovative B2B SaaS company transforming traditional HR practices in the manufacturing and supply chain sectors, announced today the successful close of a $4 million seed funding round. The round was led by Ironspring Ventures, with participation from Schematic Ventures, Plug & Play Ventures, Iron Prairie Ventures, Motivate Ventures, and 25Madison. This funding milestone underscores both the growing recognition of Wilya’s cutting-edge approach to flexible work and skills digitization, and the company’s rapid commercial growth.

In addition to the funding news, Wilya is excited to announce its rebranding. “We are taking on the #1 issue for manufacturers through a novel technology solution, informed by our backgrounds in HR and tech,” said Rahil Siddiqui, Founder and CEO of Wilya. “Wilya offers a unique combination of integrated tools to introduce and manage closed pools of skilled, frontline industrial workers, and we are eager to expand on our early successes with this fresh capital and exciting new partners. Our new name also better reflects the increasing capabilities of the SaaS platform as we help our customers be more strategic in scaling up and down their skilled labor in a volatile economy.”

With this new injection of capital, Wilya will accelerate the development and deployment of its software solutions, further expand its market reach, and add product features to address the unique human capital challenges in the supply chain.

“Labor shortages remain a critical issue within US manufacturing, and Wilya’s platform is enabling manufacturers across the US to make great gains in productivity and efficiency by modernizing how factories identify skill sets and deploy their existing workforce,” said Ty Findley, Co-Founder & General Partner at Ironspring Ventures, who will join the Wilya board. “With depth in HR and manufacturing, this could not be a stronger team to understand these challenges. And when paired with impressive 400% commercial growth over the past year, we couldn’t be more excited to partner with Rahil and team.”

Wilya’s intuitive SaaS platform is tailor-made for the needs of frontline supervisors in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution industries. The software provides a ‘skills operating system’ which can be operationalized to facilitate efficient allocation of skills and resources while promoting a more flexible approach to work. With Wilya, companies can better manage and increase productivity of existing full-time labor and introduce flex-worker pools – reducing the cost and complexity of expensive contract workers and forced overtime.

Nearly 50% of manufacturers say they have turned down work due to lack of labor, and experts predict factories will be short more than two million workers by 2030, costing $1 trillion in productivity. With recent US legislation, including the CHIPS Act, IIJA, and IRA, spurring manufacturing activity across the country, it is clear new solutions are needed to address labor challenges in this sector. 

“With so many highly-skilled workers retiring and younger employees pursuing roles that provide flexibility of when, how much, and what they work on, the pixelated workforce has officially arrived in the Supply Chain function,” said Andy Biladeau, Chief Transformation Officer, Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). “Fortunately, Wilya has developed an elegant solution to help manufacturers and distributors easily track and deploy real-time their cross-skilled workers in this dynamic, ever-evolving labor environment.” SHRM Labs is an investor in Wilya.

About Wilya

Formerly known as Gig and Take, Wilya was founded with the mission to revolutionize the manufacturing sector by enabling flexible workforce solutions. The company was born out of firsthand experience with the rigid and often inefficient workforce structures prevalent in the industry. The founding team, leveraging their extensive background in manufacturing and HR, identified the need for a technology that could help factories manage a flexible workforce efficiently. Wilya’s innovative SaaS software platform aims to create a win-win situation for both factories and workers by facilitating a more dynamic and engaged workforce. The company’s dedication to transforming traditional HR practices has been recognized with multiple accolades, including the prestigious MHI Innovation Award.

For more information about Wilya, visit https://www.wilya.com 

SOURCE Gig and Take

Earp Solar Becomes First Fully Financed and Operational Asset for Birch IPP

ST. LOUIS, June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Birch Creek Energy, LLC (“Birch Creek”), a St. Louis based renewable energy company, announced the completion of financing and full operation of Earp Solar, a 47MW utility scale solar project based in Illinois.  Earp Solar represents the first project to become fully financed and operational in Birch Creek’s independent power producer entity (the “IPP”) and is the first of several which are slated to come on line this year. 

“Bringing Earp Solar to completion is a transformational event for Birch Creek,” said Dan Siegel, CEO of Birch Creek. “We announced our IPP strategy mid 2023, and since then have worked aggressively to complete the construction and financing of 6 projects in MISO territory totaling 342MW.  Earp Solar represents the first of these projects and we are grateful to our partners who helped get us here.” 

Tax equity was arranged through Foss & Co., permanent debt was provided by West Town Bank & Trust, and construction capital was underwritten and funded by Pathward®, N.A.

“Earp Solar exemplifies Foss & Company’s commitment to driving positive change in the renewable energy landscape. Our tax equity investment in this exciting project used an inverted lease structure which optimized economics for all involved,” stated Bryen Alperin, Partner and Managing Director, Foss & Company. “This marks our second successful deal with Birch Creek and our third deal with their project finance lead. We are thrilled to be a part of the Earp Solar project, and look forward to many future deals with the Birch Creek team.”

“We would like to sincerely thank all of our partners for supporting the financing of our first IPP asset,” added Max Whitacre, EVP of Project Finance for Birch Creek.  “We are thrilled to have achieved this milestone and look forward to continued financings through these relationships as we build out our IPP this year and beyond.”

Earp Solar is a 49MWdc solar project based in Warren County, Illinois.  The project is sited on 229 acres and connects to Ameren Illinois.  Earp Solar generates enough clean electricity to power over 7,300 homes. 

About Birch Creek Energy
Birch Creek Energy, a utility scale solar development platform, develops, finances and owns utility scale solar and storage projects in the United States. Since 2019, Birch Creek Energy has developed 1.7 gigawatts (GW) of solar projects and has a portfolio of over 14.2 gigawatts (GW) of utility scale solar and storage projects in various stages of development and operation across MISO, PJM, ERCOT and the Southeast. Birch Creek Energy has 52 employees and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.  For more information, visit www.birchcreekenergy.com.

About Foss & Company 
Founded in 1983, Foss & Company is a national tax equity investor and fund sponsor that has deployed over $8 billion in tax equity on behalf of insurance, banking, and other large corporate clients into historic rehabilitation projects, renewable energy and advanced energy production facilities. Foss & Company is a full-service advisor with proven expertise in helping our partners navigate the world of tax equity investments. For additional information, visit www.fossandco.com.

About Pathward®
Pathward®, N.A., a national bank, is a subsidiary of Pathward Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASH). Pathward is a U.S.-based financial empowerment company driven by its purpose to power financial inclusion. Pathward strives to increase financial availability, choice and opportunity across our Banking as a Service and Commercial Finance business lines. The strategic business lines provide end-to-end support to individuals and businesses. Learn more at Pathward.com.

About West Town Bank & Trust
West Town Bank & Trust is a dedicated financing partner for solar energy, specializing in the efficient application of the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. With its specialized renewable energy team, West Town streamlines access to development capital with creative financing solutions. West Town has authorized over $1 billion in solar financing since 2016, facilitating industry innovation, the growth of clean energy, and rural economic development. The bank is chartered in Illinois with headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information about West Town Bank & Trust, visit www.westtownbank.com.

SOURCE Birch Creek Energy

MODIIN, Israel, June 24, 2024 — OCON Therapeutics, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer at the forefront of revolutionizing drug delivery, today announced the successful completion of a $10 million investment round led by RH Capital. This funding will enhance OCON’s ability to provide groundbreaking solutions for treating prevalent uterine pathologies, reinforcing its vision to establish a safer standard of care through its proprietary 3D drug delivery system.

Pioneering Innovations in Uterine Health

OCON Therapeutics continues to lead in the development of innovative drug delivery systems for tackling the most prevalent pathologies in women’s health. Leveraging its validated 3D stent drug delivery frame IUB®, which has demonstrated safety and usability in over 150,000 women with its IUB Ballerine®, OCON is set to advance its IUB SEAD® and IUB PRIMA® assets, both designed to tackle abnormal and heavy uterine bleeding, affecting 15% of the global population (1 in 3 women), providing long-term hormonal and short-term non-hormonal options for treatment.

The investment round, totaling $10 million, was led by RH Capital, with participation from Features Capital, Astia Angels, Exerte Partners, grants from the Israeli Innovation Authority and other business angels, all of whom bring a wealth of expertise and a strong commitment to advancing women’s health solutions. This funding will accelerate OCON’s ongoing efforts to deliver cutting-edge solutions that meet the unique needs of women, addressing an overall $35B market opportunity while promoting better health outcomes and enhancing quality of life.

“Our mission at OCON Therapeutics is to create a new standard of care and give women and physicians additional choices that are safe and innovative,” said Keren Leshem, CEO of OCON Therapeutics, “we address the most prevalent uterine pathologies, more common than diabetes or heart disease, while ensuring targeted and lower-dose treatments to alleviate side effects and minimize risks associated with surgeries or non-compliance to oral medication.”

“As a leader in the industry, OCON’s financing milestone is a tremendous accomplishment for Keren and the team. Features Capital invested in OCON because we believe the IUB® is a revolutionary platform for treating a variety of gynecological conditions directly at the target tissue. At Features, we invest in and engage with teams to create breakthrough solutions that radically transform patient outcomes, improve health economics, and bridge health inequities in multi-billion dollar global markets. OCON’s groundbreaking technologies align perfectly with our thesis of Unlocking MedTech,” said Jenny Barba,
Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Features Capital.

Advancing Clinical Trials and Regulatory Approvals

OCON has successfully completed Phase 2b clinical studies for the IUB SEAD®, designed to tackle abnormal and heavy uterine bleeding affecting 15% of the population globally. The company is preparing to initiate a USA pivotal study and will commence discussions with the FDA through its IND submission.

The IUB PRIMA® is poised to address both long-term reversible contraception and heavy menstrual bleeding with a set-it-and-forget-it method that is highly effective for women. With a proof-of-principle working prototype, this investment allows OCON to advance the product, offering a transformative solution for women’s health that finally fit their anatomy.

OCON is dedicated to sustaining its legacy product, the IUB Ballerine®, a leading choice for non-hormonal long-term contraception. The company is finalizing MDR regulatory activities to ensure continued availability across the EU, South America, and Canada. The IUB Ballerine® remains a preferred solution for women aged 15 to menopause, thanks to its innovative design and proven effectiveness.

Expanding to Treat Endometriosis and Uterine Fibroids

OCON is gearing up to initiate a Series A funding round which will support expanding its product pipeline to tackle long term endometriosis treatment through its IUB STELLA™ and uterine fibroids using the same innovative sustained drug-releasing platform with its IUB ADIRA™. By doing so, OCON will provide healthcare professionals with a comprehensive suite of products for uterine health and women more modern and safe choices,ensuring versatile and effective treatments for a wide range of conditions that affect up to 80% of women.

“This latest investment is a testament of our investors’ confidence in OCON’s technology and strategic direction,” added Keren Leshem. “We are grateful to our investors and excited to advance our clinical programs, expand our product offerings, and bring our innovative solutions to more women around the world.”

About OCON Therapeutics

OCON Therapeutics is a women-led women’s health company dedicated to developing, manufacturing, and commercializing innovative drug delivery systems based on the company’s patented IUB® (Intra-Uterine Ball) platform. Recognized as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, OCON is committed to providing physicians with impactful and groundbreaking innovations for treating the most prevalent uterine pathologies, with a focus on improving patient outcomes and experiences.

For more information, please visit www.oconmed.com

Media Contact: 

OCON Therapeutics
Email: [email protected] 
Phone: +972 72 21 50 105

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2445949/Keren_Leshem.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2445948/OCON_Therapeutics_Logo.jpg

SOURCE OCON Therapeutics

ANGERS, Frankreich, 24. Juni 2024 — VoltR, ein französischer Hersteller von nachhaltigen französischen Lithium-Batterien, kündigt ein Fundraising in Höhe von 4 Millionen Euro an, um seine Verfahren zu industrialisieren. Bei dieser Seed-Finanzierungsrunde konnte das Deeptech unter anderem auf die Beteiligung von C4 Ventures, Exergon, Pays de la Loire Participations und Anjou Amorçage zählen.

VoltR wird die Entwicklung seiner Pilotanlage, die Industrialisierung der Prozesse, die Forschung und Entwicklung sowie die Einstellung von Experten fortsetzen. Eine Finanzierungsrunde der Serie A in Höhe von mehreren zehn Millionen Euro ist bereits angelaufen und soll bis zum vierten Quartal 2024 abgeschlossen sein.

Auf ökologische Herausforderungen und die europäische Souveränität reagieren

Die Energie- und Industriewende und insbesondere die Elektrifizierung des Energiesystems führen zu einer steigenden Nachfrage nach Batterien, für deren Herstellung Rohstoffe wie Lithium mit besonders energie- und wasserintensiver Gewinnung benötigt werden.  So ist der CO2-Fußabdruck, der bei der Herstellung einer klassischen Batterie erzeugt wird, wesentlich größer als der eines wiederaufbereiteten Produkts. Deshalb hat es sich VoltR zur Aufgabe gemacht, den Wert von Batterien zu maximieren, indem sie einer neuen Verwendung zugeführt werden.

Nachhaltige Batterien mit hoher Leistung

VoltR wurde 2022 gegründet und hat auf Künstlicher Intelligenz basierende Technologien und Verfahren entwickelt, welche die Charakterisierung, Neuzuordnung der Zellen und dann die Wiederaufbereitung von Batterien ermöglichen. Aus gebrauchten Produkten, die durchschnittlich 80 % ihrer Speicherkapazität bewahren, stellt VoltR Batterien her, die für verschiedene Sektoren bestimmt sind. Da sie dieselben Erwartungen an Qualität und Kapazität erfüllen wie neue Batterien, übertrifft ihre Leistung manchmal die von neuen Produkten.

«Unser Ziel ist es, eine europäische Kreislaufwirtschaft für Lithiumbatterien aufzubauen, um ihre Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt so gering wie möglich zu halten. Das größte Lithiumvorkommen ist nicht in den Minen verborgen, sondern bei uns. », so Alban Regnier, Vorsitzender und Gründer von VoltR.

VoltR hat eine Seed-Finanzierungsrunde in Höhe von insgesamt 2 Millionen Euro abgeschlossen. Das Start-up wurde u. a. von C4 Ventures und Exergon unterstützt. VoltR erhielt außerdem Mittel von Pays de la Loire Participations und Anjou Amorçage. Außerdem sicherte sich VoltR weitere 2 Millionen Euro in Form eines Mix aus Darlehen und Zuschüssen.

Camille Bouget / [email protected]

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2445238/4776373/VoltR_Logo.jpg

The financing will further scale BillionToOne’s prenatal screening and oncology diagnostics businesses

MENLO PARK, Calif., June 21, 2024 — BillionToOne, a next-generation molecular diagnostics company, announced today that it has raised $130 million in an oversubscribed, upsized Series D round. The financing was led by Premji Invest, with significant participation by another incoming investor, Neuberger Berman, as well as by prominent existing investors, including Adam Street Partners, Baillie Gifford, Hummingbird Ventures, Civilization Ventures, Libertus Capital, and Fifty Years. The funding will be used for expanding and scaling BillionToOne’s prenatal and oncology businesses.

BillionToOne’s unique technology, Quantitative Counting Templates™, QCTs™, enables counting DNA molecules with single base-pair precision, and it has allowed the company to develop truly differentiated tests that redefine the possibilities of molecular diagnostics. Over 500K patients have received BillionToOne tests to date, and BillionToOne has grown from $0M to $125M ARR in the last ~4 years.

UNITY Fetal Risk^™ Screen is the first-and-only prenatal test of its kind. The test leverages fetal cell-free DNA to provide direct insights into fetal risk for aneuploidies and common recessively inherited conditions, such as sickle cell disease, spinal muscular atrophy, and cystic fibrosis, without requiring a blood sample from the male partner or amniocentesis. BillionToOne’s complementary oncology liquid biopsy products, Northstar Select® and Northstar Response®, enable clinicians to select the right therapies and monitor patients’ responses to therapies, particularly in late-stage cancer patients. Northstar Select® achieves a 2-5x lower limit of detection compared to other assays on the market, and Northstar Response® is a methylation-based ctDNA assay with 10x precision than SNV-based assays, validated across different cancer types to assess the treatment response in late-stage cancer patients.

Akshay Rai, who has led the Series D round and is joining BillionToOne’s Board of Directors, said, “At Premji Invest, we aim to partner with exceptional teams, solving difficult problems while building enduring businesses. We are thrilled to be a part of BillionToOne’s journey to create an industry-leading molecular diagnostics platform. BillionToOne has made great progress in transforming the prenatal segment over the last few years, and after seeing the initial growth and potential of their liquid biopsy products, we are excited by the platform’s potential in expanding the diagnostics options available to clinicians in other specialties.”

With the latest investment, BillionToOne’s total capital raised to date totals nearly $400 million. This round adds to an impressive list of existing investors, including NeoTribe Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Four Rivers Group, and Y Combinator.

To learn more about BillionToOne, please visit www.billiontoone.com.

About BillionToOne
Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, BillionToOne is a precision diagnostics company on a mission to make molecular diagnostics more powerful, efficient, and accessible for all. The company’s patented Quantitative Counting Technology™ (QCT™) molecular counting platform is the only multiplex technology that can accurately count DNA molecules at the single-molecule level. For more information, visit www.billiontoone.com.

Media Contact: Sara Zick, [email protected]

SOURCE BillionToOne