Venture fundraising has been a slog over the last few years, even for firms with a strong track record. That’s Foresite Capital’s experience. Despite having 47 IPOs, 28 M&As and 58 FDA-approved drugs under its belt, the 13-year-old multi-stage healthcare and life sciences firm took two years to raise its sixth fund. “Almost all of […]
Anterior, a company that uses AI to expedite health insurance approval for medical procedures, has raised a $20 million Series A round at a $95 million post-money valuation led by NEA, according to two people familiar with the deal. Existing investors Sequoia, which led Anterior’s $3.2 million seed round last September, and Neo, an accelerator
Anterior grabs $20M from NEA to expedite health insurance approvals with AI Read More »
Two years ago, Prolific Machines unveiled its technology for a unique manufacturing approach to grow cells for industries, including cultivated meat. Today, the Emeryville, Calif.-based company said it’s ready to go to market with a bioreactor that will make that growth possible. Deniz Kent, Max Huisman and Declan Jones started the company in 2020 to
Over half of Americans wear corrective glasses or contact lenses. While there isn’t a shortage of low-cost and luxury frames available online or in stores, consumers can only buy them with a current eyeglass prescription. That means that they first need an eye exam from an optometrist to receive that prescription. But, due to a
In 1816, French physician René Laennec invented an instrument that allowed doctors to listen to human hearts and lungs. That device — a stethoscope — eventually evolved from a simple wooden tube to a lightweight two-earpiece version most doctors today wear on their necks. Eko Health, a startup founded in 2013, is bringing this ubiquitous
Eko Health scores $41M to detect heart disease earlier and more accurately Read More »
Sword Health, an AI-powered virtual physical therapy startup, has raised $30 million and let employees sell $100 million worth of equity to new and existing investors, including Khosla Ventures. The round brings the nine-year-old company’s valuation to $3 billion, a 50% increase from the $2 billion value it garnered in its Series D in November 2021. The
Sword Health raises $130 million and its valuation soars to $3 billion Read More »
So what is AI, anyway? The best way to think of artificial intelligence is as software that approximates human thinking. It’s not the same, nor is it better or worse, but even a rough copy of the way a person thinks can be useful for getting things done. Just don’t mistake it for actual intelligence!
WTF is AI? | TechCrunch Read More »
Jasper Health, a cancer care platform startup, laid off a substantial part of its workforce, TechCrunch has learned. Engineering and product design were among the departments impacted by the cuts, according to posts on LinkedIn from impacted employees. TechCrunch was unable to independently verify the exact number of people who were cut, but an industry
General Catalyst-backed Jasper Health lays off staff Read More »
Eric Lefkofsky knows the public listing rodeo well and is about to enter it for a fourth time. The serial entrepreneur, whose net worth is estimated at nearly $4 billion, has already taken three businesses he’s founded public. Today he’s the founder of Tempus, a genomic testing and data analysis company preparing to IPO. But
Putting AI to work in the healthcare industry is a tricky business; it’s even more so in oncology, where the stakes are especially high. Biotech startup Valar Labs is aiming high but starting small with a tool that accurately predicts certain treatment outcomes, potentially saving precious time for patients. It has raised $22 million to
Valar Labs debuts AI-powered cancer care prediction tool and secures $22M Read More »
