Google Ventures invests in sectors including life sciences, consumer, enterprise, crypto, climate, and frontier technology. With Alphabet as its sole limited partner, Google Ventures focuses on long-term investments. Its operating partners assist startups in design, equity, diversity & inclusion, talent, and engineering and help them connect with Google for technology and expertise. Founded in 2009 as Google Ventures, Google Ventures manages over $8 billion in assets with 400 active portfolio companies in North America and Europe. Some notable investments include Uber, Nest, Slack, GitLab, and One Medical. Google Ventures is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices in Cambridge, New York, and London.

Google Ventures

Third Rock Ventures invests in transformational life science companies that show high growth potential and are well-positioned to make a difference in the marketplace. Third Rock Ventures believes in the companies we start and makes significant initial investments, which are frequently supplemented by strategic collaborations, to help our firms progress in life-changing medicines, technologies, and diagnostics.

Third Rock Ventures

Prospect Venture Partners is a venture capital firm with over $1B of capital under management. The firm is dedicated to investing in outstanding biopharmaceutical and medical device companies. Prospect targets commercially attractive biomedical enterprises with outstanding entrepreneurial management teams, proprietary products, and innovative technologies with the potential for significant investment returns. The firm invests in companies with a wide variety of development and financing requirements including new company incubations, first and second venture financing rounds, and later stage private and public companies with proven business models requiring expansion capital.

Prospect Venture Partners

Deerfield is an investment management firm. They provide a healthcare ecosystem through information and investment. They also provide private and public investments across the life science, medical device, diagnostic, digital health, and health service industries.

Deerfield

Qiming Venture Partners USA, founded in 2017, is a healthcare venture capital firm and healthcare investor with deep technical expertise that allows them to identify tomorrow's innovations early and strong operational experience with a hands-on approach that makes us the investor of choice for early-stage biotech companies. Because of their proven, hands-on approach to supporting CEOs and scaling operations, its partners are frequently sought after to serve on company boards. They are respected business and thought leaders.

Qiming Venture Partners USA

Invus recognizes that every company is unique and that extraordinary business performance cannot be achieved by following a formulaic approach. Due to their unique structure, they have a great deal of flexibility in the types of companies and situations where they can get involved. They know that real transformation takes time and that it is never a straight line. They fully align their incentives with their partners and have the wherewithal and long-term commitment to see through any bumps along the way. They have been successfully empowering owner-managers since 1985. They have been reinvesting the same pool of money from the same group of European families (through their Artal investment vehicle) since their founding. Today they manage over $4 billion in an evergreen fund and work out of offices in New York, London, Paris and Hong Kong.

Invus

Cormorant Asset Management is an employee-owned hedge fund sponsor that provides its services to pooled investment vehicles. The firm also focuses on both public and private market innovative companies in the biotechnology and life sciences marketplace.

Cormorant Asset Management

Element Science

Element Science is a medical device and digital health company that develops solutions at the intersection of clinical-grade wearable devices, machine learning algorithms, and lifesaving therapies to address the needs of high-risk cardiovascular patients, primarily as they transition from the hospital to home. The company developing a proprietary next-generation wearable digital platform that unites patient-centric human factor engineering, sophisticated machine learning algorithm development principles, and rigorous electromechanical medical device development standards. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Element Science is an innovative health technology company pioneering a digital wearable platform for high-risk cardiovascular patients. Their flagship product, the Jewel Patch Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator (P-WCD), is a novel, water-resistant wearable defibrillator designed to detect and treat life-threatening arrhythmias in patients with a temporarily elevated risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The Jewel continuously monitors a patient's heart and treats specific life-threatening rhythms, enabling continued protection during normal daily activities, including showering, sleeping, and moderate exercise.

Element Science Receives CE Mark & UKCA Mark for the Jewel® Patch-Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator

Element Science secures CE and UKCA mark approvals for Jewel P-WCD

Element Science receives CE Mark for the Jewel patch-wearable cardioverter defibrillator

From counting steps to saving lives and beyond

Wearable Tech

Element Science Shares Positive Study Results for its Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator

Element Science is an innovative health technology company pioneering a digital wearable platform for high-risk cardiovascular patients. Their flagship product, the Jewel Patch Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator (P-WCD), is a novel, water-resistant wearable defibrillator designed to detect and treat life-threatening arrhythmias in patients with a temporarily elevated risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The Jewel continuously monitors a patient's heart and treats specific life-threatening rhythms, enabling continued protection during normal daily activities, including showering, sleeping, and moderate exercise.
The device incorporates advanced machine learning algorithms, an approach commonly used in consumer wearables but relatively uncommon in medical device development. The Jewel Mobile App enables timely patient care by transmitting therapy information to the patient's medical team in near real-time. The effectiveness of the Jewel defibrillator was confirmed in the Jewel EP Lab Study conducted in Prague, Czech Republic in January 2023, where 16 patients experiencing ventricular arrhythmias were successfully converted to a normal heart rhythm after a single therapeutic shock.
The Jewel IDE Study, a pivotal study of 305 patients presented at the American Heart Association's 2023 Annual Scientific Sessions in November 2023, demonstrated significant patient compliance and protected time, resulting in a high number of successful patient saves and no deaths or serious adverse events related to the device. The Jewel P-WCD has received the European Union's CE mark certification and Great Britain's UKCA marking as of January 2024, validating the device's development, testing, and clinical results.

Biostrap is a company that provides scalable and customizable biosensor-based precision health monitoring solutions. Their innovative wearable devices, such as the Biostrap Kairos launched in July 2023, offer advanced autonomic nervous system analysis and quantification of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches through wrist-worn devices. Kairos utilizes a high-sensitivity CMOS optical sensor to capture raw photoplethysmography (PPG) data, enabling accurate computation of biometrics like heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), beat-to-beat intervals, respiratory rate, and sleep-related parameters.
Biostrap's key differentiator lies in its commitment to delivering clinically reliable nervous system analysis through detailed and transparent biometric measurements. The Spot Check feature provides real-time visualization of the underlying PPG signal, signal quality, and R-R intervals, granting untethered access to every data point captured. This configurability and data integrity attracted clients like the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) in the UK for their sleep, fatigue, and recovery program.
Kairos underwent extensive testing by HRV experts and achieved impressive accuracy levels, comparable to ECG chest straps. The launch marked Biostrap's pivot from the consumer wearable market to offering configurable hardware and software solutions for enterprise and research purposes.

Biostrap

Caeden is a wearable technology company that develops smart bracelets focused on promoting mindfulness and reducing stress. Their flagship product, the Sona smart bracelet, combines fashion and technology by integrating an advanced heart rate sensor into a genuine leather bracelet design. Launched in May 2016, the Sona retailed for USD 200 and offered a unique "Resonance" program, consisting of various breathing exercises tailored for different moments throughout the user's day.
The Sona aimed to provide a reprieve from the fast-paced city life by enabling users to start their day with a moment of zen, find calm and focus before important meetings, and unwind after workouts through concentrated breathing exercises. Caeden's founders, Nora Levinson and David Watkins, believed that regular use of the Resonance program could help build the user's resistance to stress, addressing a significant health issue faced by many.
Differentiating itself from step-tracking devices like Fitbit and smartwatches acting as smartphone extensions, the Sona positioned itself as a luxury item powered by technology designed to improve the wearer's overall quality of life through mindfulness. With its discreet design concealing the technology, the Sona aimed to offer mindfulness without drawing attention to the wearer's use of a device for that purpose.

Caeden

MyKronoz is a Swiss company that specializes in producing innovative hybrid smartwatches. Their flagship product, the ZeTime, was first launched in 2017 after a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The ZeTime features a unique design that combines traditional mechanical watch hands with a full-color touchscreen display, allowing it to function as both an analog watch and a smartwatch.
The watch offers activity tracking capabilities, including monitoring steps, calories burned, and sleep patterns using built-in sensors such as an accelerometer and optical heart rate monitor. It also provides smartwatch functionalities like displaying notifications, controlling music playback, and viewing incoming calls. The ZeTime's mechanical hands intelligently adjust their position to avoid obstructing the touchscreen display when interacting with the device.
One of the key advantages of the ZeTime is its impressive battery life. In watch mode, the battery can last up to 30 days on a single charge, while the smartwatch mode offers around 3-4 days of usage. The device also allows users to customize watch faces, either by selecting from pre-set options or creating their own designs using templates or personal photos.
The ZeTime received praise for its innovative concept and strong battery life. Some reviews, however, criticized its half-baked operating system, unresponsive touchscreen, and inconsistent activity tracking. Despite these drawbacks, MyKronoz's hybrid smartwatches garnered global recognition for their unique approach to wearable technology.

MyKronoz

Ringly is a company that produces fashionable smart jewelry, primarily rings and bracelets, aimed at the female market. Their devices are designed to discreetly notify wearers of incoming calls, messages, and app notifications through vibrations and LED lights. The rings are made from materials like 14k gold, sterling silver, and semi-precious gemstones like onyx, labradorite, and moonstone.
Ringly's core product is a smart ring that connects to the user's smartphone via Bluetooth. Through the Ringly app, users can customize which notifications trigger the ring's vibrations and colored LED lights. The app supports over 100 apps like calls, texts, emails, calendar alerts, and social media platforms. The rings are water-resistant and have a battery life of 2-3 days.
While technologically simple, Ringly's rings prioritize a fashionable and discreet design over advanced features. The idea is to provide a stylish alternative to smartwatches that seamlessly blends into the user's wardrobe and lifestyle without being obtrusive. Ringly has focused on creating fashionable jewelry pieces that also offer practical notification capabilities.

Ringly

Healbe Corporation is a technology company that develops wearable devices and associated software for health and wellness monitoring. The company's flagship product is the Healbe GoBe, a smart band that utilizes proprietary FLOW Technology to automatically track various body parameters. The GoBe device employs a combination of sensors, including an accelerometer, piezo pressure sensor, and impedance sensor, along with advanced algorithms to provide insights into users' overall health.
The GoBe smart band is designed to automatically measure calorie intake through the skin, eliminating the need for manual food logging. It also tracks calories burned, hydration levels, stress levels, sleep quality, heart rate, blood pressure, and physical activity. In November 2015, Healbe introduced automatic hydration level monitoring to the GoBe device, making it the first wearable to offer this feature without requiring manual input of fluid consumption.
Healbe's technology adapts to individual body characteristics, providing personalized insights and recommendations. The device monitors hydration levels continuously and alerts users when they need to drink more water. It also tracks emotional stress and helps users correlate it with their body's physical responses. The GoBe smart band measures energy expenditure throughout the day, including basal metabolism, regardless of physical activity levels.
The company's latest model, the GoBe3, incorporates additional features such as EDA-based Neuroactivity tracking and physiological stress estimation. It also offers improved sleep tracking capabilities, including detailed analysis of sleep phases and smart alarm functions designed to wake users during optimal sleep stages.
Healbe has developed a companion mobile application that synchronizes with the GoBe device in real-time, allowing users to view and analyze their data. The app provides detailed information on various health parameters and offers integration with Google Fit for a more comprehensive health data ecosystem.

Healbe

Wearable devices in form factors, such as wristwear and rings, designed to monitor and track various aspects of a person's physical activity, health, and wellness

Wearable entertainment devices designed primarily for entertainment and leisure purposes. These come in the form of hearables, wearable cameras, personalized smart devices, etc.

Apparel that incorporate electronic components, sensors, and connectivity features to provide functionalities beyond traditional clothing and accessories

Specialized wearable devices designed for use in industrial and work settings. These include safety wearables that come in the form of head-mounted devices, smart gloves, exoskeletons, etc.

Wearable devices, which are designed to monitor, collect, and transmit various health-related data, and wearable assistive devices. These come in the form of cardiac monitoring devices, glucose monitors, wearable pulse oximeters, hearing impairment aids, visual aids, etc.

Enhances the user experience by enabling language translation, contextual awareness, and personalized recommendations, making wearables more versatile and user-centric

Leveraging technology to collect data about the user's activities, preferences, and health metrics before using this information to provide personalized experiences

Industrial wearables contribute to increased efficiency, safety, and productivity in industrial settings by providing real-time data and connectivity solutions for workers and equipment

Empowers wearable devices to continuously improve and adapt to user preferences, offering personalized insights and recommendations based on user data

Enhances the functionality of wearables and allows users to access and interact with data through various devices and services in the broader IoT ecosystem

Element Science

Sources

About EDGE

Contact Us

Resources

Area of Focus

Technology Research Made Effortless