If you’re diagnosed with lazy eye — otherwise known as amblyopia — as a child, there are only a few options at your disposal. You can wear an eye patch, you can take eye drops or you can wear corrective lenses. Or, in the future (pending FDA clearance), you could watch TV. That’s the central […]
Alpha Medical closes $24M Series B round to expand women’s telehealth — without the video calls
Alpha Medical, a telemedicine company focused on women’s healthcare, closed a $24 million Series B round on Tuesday. It’s another company situated squarely in the crosshairs of a pandemic-fueled boom in telemedicine investment, though Alpha Medical’s approach has one notable difference: you won’t be logging on to any Zoom calls. Alpha Medical was founded in […]
Gingko Bioworks, valued at $15B, begins trading today: Here’s how their business works
Gingko Bioworks, a synthetic biology company now valued at around $15 billion, begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange today. Gingko’s market debut is one of the largest in biotech history. It’s expected to raise about $1.6 billion for the company. It’s also one of the biggest SPAC deals done to date — Gingko […]
How Colossal sold investors on a quest to resurrect a woolly mammoth
There are a growing number of companies interested in CRISPR’s potential to upend medicine. It’s probably safe to say there’s only one company interested in using the gene-editing system to create a living, breathing woolly mammoth. Or, at least, something pretty close to it. That’s the primary mission of a new company called Colossal. Co-founded […]
DotCom Therapy raises $13M to provide therapy for kids, in and out of school
DotCom Therapy, a pediatric teletherapy company, just closed a $13 million series A round. It’s far from the only teletherapy company looking to capitalize on a boom in venture capital investment in mental health startups, but it’s operating in a hyper-specific sphere: therapy for kids. DotCom Therapy was originally co-founded in 2015 by Rachel Mack […]
Breakout “CRISPR platform” company Mammoth Biosciences is officially a unicorn
The CRISPR-based biotech startup Mammoth Biosciences is officially a unicorn, the company says. The billion dollar valuation comes on the back of a $150 million series D round led by Redmile Group, with participation from Foresite Capital, Senator Investment Group, Sixth Street, Greenspring Associates, Mayfield, Decheng Capital, Plum Alley and NFX. Combined with a late […]
Emulate Inc. closes $82M Series E to fund expansion of ‘organ-on-a-chip’ products
Emulate Inc., a biotech company focused on developing “organ-on-a-chip” technology, closed an $82 million Series E round on Tuesday. This latest round is intended to formulate a massive investment in a “roadmap” for developing model organ systems created to fit drug makers’ needs and bring the idea of an organ-on-a-chip into use in the lab. […]
Digital therapy program for fibromyalgia receives FDA breakthrough device designation
Swing Therapeutics, a digital therapeutics startup, has received an FDA breakthrough device designation for their 12 week smartphone-assisted fibromyalgia management program. This is the company’s first breakthrough designation, and precedes a deluge of clinical trials scheduled for this year. Swing Therapeutics was founded in 2019 and has raised a total of $9 million in seed […]
GSK and R/GA Ventures are launching a health studio for startups
GSK Next, the innovation arm of GlaxoSmithKlein, is launching a new mentorship and business development program. Called the Re/Wire Health Studio, the program will eventually select six startups who will win access to nine weeks of mentoring, business development expertise, and cash grants. The Re/Wire Health Studio is designed for growth and early-stage startups focused […]
Aduhelm approval sparks HHS watchdog review of FDA’s accelerated approval pathway
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General will review the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway, the office announced Wednesday. This sweeping review comes just two months after the controversial approval of Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. The review will focus on the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway — a route that allows […]