Sofia Angel Fund
Sofia Angel Group is a group of angel investors based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group solely focuses on investing in women-led businesses where women are the founders, or women are on the senior management team. Sofia Angel Group does not have a specific timeframe to make an investment, however would make an allocation by the end of 2013 if a compelling opportunity is identified. The group typically invests around $100,000 per company, however has the ability to invest up to $3 million through co-investments from the group’s members.
Barbara Nelsen
Symbient Product Development
Rapid Development of Injection Molded Medical Devices
From Concept Through Transfer-to-Manufacturing
Symbient specializes in engineering research and development, prototyping and design-for-manufacturing of innovative medical devices that use injection molded components. Our highly experienced team consists of mechanical and biomedical engineers, industrial designers, machinists and molding technicians. They leverage our in-house rapid prototyping, and prototype tooling fabrication and injection molding to create proven, manufacturable designs with unmatched speed, efficiency and precision. These designs make up our deep portfolio of over 300 successful devices that have collectively generated hundreds of millions of dollars. They include FDA Class I, II and III devices, developed under our ISO 13485 certified quality management system.
Our Services Include:
- Concept Development
- Development Engineering
- Design-for-Manufacturing
- Industrial Design
- Project Rescue
- Design Control per IOS 13485
- Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
- Design Verification Testing
- Test Method Development
- Transfer to Manufacturing
Our In-House Capabilities and Expertise Include:
- Stereolithography (SLA) Prototyping
- CNC Machining / Fabrication
- Prototype Mold Fabrication
- Prototype Injection Molding of Devices for Testing, Trials and Studies
- Liquid Injection Molded (LIM) Silicone Prototype Molding
- Product Reliability Testing
- Plastics Assembly Expertise: Ultrasonic and Laser Welding, Heat Sealing, Pressure Sensitive Adhesives, Swaging, Snap Fits, Press Fits, Interlocks.
- Speed: Prototype Molds in as little as 1 week and Modifications in as little as 1 Day
- Material Selection Expertise, Research and Testing to Ensure All Product Requirements Are Met.
Our Portfolio Includes:
- Diagnostics / Molecular Diagnostics
- Sample collection / preparation
- Life Sciences / Microfluidics
- OTC Consumer products
- Respiratory
- Surgical devices and clinical tools
- Drug Delivery
Lisa Coyne
Business Development ManagerLuke Helm
Director of Business DevelopmentSyncona Partners
Syncona Partners, founded in 2012, is an evergreen investment firm based in London, UK. The firm is an independent subsidiary of the Wellcome Trust who invested the initial £200m capitalization. The firm is mandated to invest in companies with the potential to make major breakthroughs in healthcare. The investment size will usually range from £1M – £20M per company. The firm seeks to create sustainable, profitable businesses, to support them with capital over the long term, for the benefit of patients, and to hold an ownership position to create value for the Wellcome Trust. The firm is actively screening new investment opportunities.
Chris Hollowood
PartnerTech Coast Angels
Founded in 1997, Tech Coast Angels is the largest angel investor group in the United States. Its members provide funding and guidance to more early-stage high-growth companies in Southern California than any other investment group. TCA members invest in companies in a wide range of industries including life sciences, biotech and health IT. TCA has more than 325 members including its venture capital affiliates in five networks in Los Angeles Orange County San Diego Westlake/Santa Barbara and the Inland Empire. The organization will finance on an opportunistic basis as long as substantial disruptive market opportunities exists. The firm has historically invested in Biotech Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Biotechnology R&D Services, Biotechnology Other, Medical Technology companies with sub sectors of Anti-Infectives, Bioinformatics, CRO (Contract Research Organization), Diagnostic Instrumentation, Diagnostic Services, Drug Delivery, Food, Industrial Biotechnology, Small Molecules, Small Molecule Therapeutics, Wound Care and indications including Diseases of the Nervous System, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Neoplasms/Cancer/Oncology, Respiratory.
Websites:
www.greenwingsbiomedical.com
techcoastangels.com
Richard Koffler
MemberTeijin Pharma Ltd.
Teijin Pharma Ltd. has unique profiles managing pharmaceutical and home healthcare products and also strong value chaines from basic research to sales, maintenance and follow up to patients in both business divisions.
We are actively dedicating to look for opportunities to collaborate with the US companies including startups, instituites and investors to introduce products/technologies into JP market with some amounts of investments for the best collaborations.
We are focusing on areas of respiratory, cardiovascular, orthopedics, rehab and neurological diseases.
Mr Aki Maeda
Manager of Business DevelopmentTexo Ventures
TEXO Ventures is a healthcare venture capital firm that was founded in 29 and is based in Austin Texas. The firm operates as a hybrid of angel and venture capital. The recent fund closed at $15.4 million in 212. The firm focuses on making equity investments in the Medical Technology and Healthcare IT spaces at near commercialization or early commercialization stage. The firm typically invests ranging from $3 million to $5 million into a company. The firm plans to make 2-3 investments over the next 6-9 month. TEXO Ventures is open to consider companies across the US. The firm primarily focuses on healthcare which includes Health IT Technology enabled Health Services Chronic Disease Management Managed Care and Benefit Design. Although medical devices and functional diagnostics are considered for investment purposes Texo Ventures must see a clear regulatory pathway and obvious synergies with healthcare reform within a company. The firm's current investment portfolio includes companies in the area of medical technology. Within this field they are in areas such as diagnostic and therapeutic radiation devices electro mechanical medical devices re-usable instruments biomaterials and non-active implantable.
Philip Sanger
Managing PartnerTorrey Pines Investment
Torrey Pines Investment (TPI) was founded in 22 and is based in San Diego CA. The firm has raised two funds and also invests in drug development via a partnership with BioMotiv. TPI makes venture-stage minority equity investments and prefers act as a co-investor but also leads rounds on occasion. The firm invests internationally.
Ron Demuth
PresidentTransverse Medical, Inc.
TRANSVERSE MEDICAL INC is an early stage medical device company focused on the development of innovative technologies addressing the market of aortic embolic protection for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), cardiovascular percutaneous interventions and surgical procedures. TMI’s proprietary Point-Guard™ technology is uniquely designed with the capability to conform to the aortic arch anatomy, deflect and filter embolic material from entering the major cerebrovascular arteries, collateral and adjacent arteries, and upon completion of procedure, safely and effectively remove the system with captured embolic debris.
Stroke rate is substantial in many established and emerging cardiovascular procedures. Of particular interest in the field are the new Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedures. There clearly exists an unmet need for an embolic protection and capture device that can be utilized during the procedures to significantly reduce acute strokes and adverse ischemic events, particularly in heart valve implantation & repair.
The risk of cerebral events and the need for protection during Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement is well documented in the literature and discussed by highly recognized key opinion leaders at major medical conferences around the world. Stroke and the incidence of silent embolic events during TAVR are associated with high patient morbidity and mortaility. This awareness of stroke, reported early on in the range of 2% to 11% prior to standardized endpoint definitions, is a concerning complication during TAVR and may have been attributed to early generation devices. However, stroke continues to be reported in TAVR with rates in the range of 0.6% to as high as 7%, remaining roughly double those associated with surgical aortic valve replacment (SAVR). While the clinical and technical challenges of TAVR will continue to be addressed through lower profile devices and operator experience, the risk of stroke remains a major concern.
The market opportunity and adoption for TAVR continues to grow worldwide with a CAGR estimated at 19.8% (2014 to 2018) and worldwide market sales projection of $2.9 Billion in 2018. (Source: David Roman, Managing Dir., Global Investment Research, Goldman, Sachs & Co.). The TMI Leadership Team estimates the Cerebral Embolic Protection Device (CPD) market to be at a conversion rate to CPD during TAVR at 50% by 2018, with worldwide market sales for CPD estimated at approx. $280 to $480 Million with an ASP of $3-5K. The Point-Guard™ advantages are expected to allow it to be used in 50% or more of such cases, projecting gross worldwide revenues of around $146 million by 2018. Complications are limiting market growth (i.e., stroke) - - Controlling stroke (i.e., Point-Guard) can expand the markets and accelerate the expansion of TAVR use to lower risk patients, capture a larger portion of high/intermediate risk patients, set the "standard of care" (e.g 100% carotid filter use in US), and set the standard for other procedures (EP, AF, LAA, etc.). Preliminary data presented at TCT 2014 by Dr. Axel Linke of University of Leipzig Heart Center in Leipzig, Germany showed significant reduction in early cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). Median Total Lesion Volume reported a 65% Reduction; Median Lesion Number reported a 57% Reduction; Rate of CVA reported a 67% Reduction.
TMI is currently developing the POINT-GUARD™ Cerebral Embolic Protection System with VARIFLEX™ Conforming Technology. Point-Guard™ is the first complete embolic protection system engineered with VariFlex™ conforming technology, uniquely designed to conform to the aortic arch and branch artery ostia addressing the concern and possibility of residual flow redirecting around current embolic protection devices. The integration of VariFlex technology allows for maximum wall apposition to cover the aortic arch branch arteries with variable flexibilty and positioning. All other CPDs in the market have only met one or two areas of concern for CPD (Freeman, et al – “With all the embolic protection devices, potential limitations exist.”). The Point-Guard is the only aortic embolic protection device designed to address all key features and functions of embolic protection during TAVR: conformity, deflection, filtration, and capture of emboli upon removal. Point-Guard will be the first cerebral embolic protection system to completely meet operator and procedural needs through ease of use, a low profile, safety and efficacy, compatible, and rapid delivery.
The Point-Guard™ is a class II product in the USA and can be cleared using the 510(k) process, with clinical trial results. The number of clinical trial patients required is to be determined, but anticipated to be fewer than 100, including EU CE Mark clinical trial patients. The CE Mark will be pursued first and is expected to require 50 or fewer patients with 30 day post-procedure follow-up.
TMI has raised $500K in private funding to date, is seeking additional seed funding of $1 million and series A funding of $6 million.
Seed Funding will allow for completion of concept development & design freeze, pre-clinical development, testing, in vitro & in vivo studies, and first in human experience. Full Series A Funding will support European clinical trials (FDA Compatible), clinical product manufacturing & readiness, CE Mark approval & European pre-commercialization launch, strengthen IP and Filings, and general operation & administration.
Eric Goslau
CEOLarry Blankenship
DirectorTed Tarasow
DirectorTwin Cities Angels Fund II, LLC
Twin Cities Angels is an angel group that was founded in 2006 that is based in Minnesota. The group has raised two funds that are The Twin Cities Angels Fund I and II. The second fund is currently looking to invest in emerging companies. The group typically provides seed and venture capital ranging from $ 25.000 to $2 million to life science companies. The group plans to invest in 4 to 6 companies per year. Twin Cities Angels seeks to invest in companies based in the Twin Cities Area of Minneapolis/St. Paul, the state of Minnesota and within a reasonable distance, such as Western Wisconsin, Northern Iowa, and Eastern Dakotas.