Biotech & Health

Prolific Machines, with a $55M Series B, shines ‘light’ on a better way to grow lab proteins for food and medicine

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 […]

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Eyebot raised $6M for AI-powered kiosks that provide 90-second eye exams without optometrist

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

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Eko Health scores $41M to detect heart disease earlier and more accurately

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

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Sword Health raises $130 million and its valuation soars to $3 billion

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

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General Catalyst-backed Jasper Health lays off staff

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

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Billionaire Groupon founder Eric Lefkofsky is back with another IPO: AI health tech Tempus

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

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Valar Labs debuts AI-powered cancer care prediction tool and secures $22M

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

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Mental health insurance platform ifeel raises a $20 million Series B

Mental health issues like stress, depression and anxiety can lead to work-related illnesses, absences and long-term sick leave. But many companies think offering a gym membership is enough. Ifeel — a European startup that decided mental health should be tackled differently and which raised $6.6 million in 2021 — has now raised a $20 million

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