Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that invests in a large number of startups twice a year. It created a new model for funding startups. Twice a year, the company invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups. The startup accelerator works intensively with the companies for three months, to get them into the best possible shape and refine their pitch to investors. Each cycle culminates in Demo Day when the startups present their companies to a carefully selected, invite-only audience.

Y Combinator

It all began in 2003, with a conversation outlining the inefficiencies in Angel investing in addition to the difficulties entrepreneurs face while raising start-up capital. Few investment groups specialize in investing $50k to $2 million in early-stage companies and even fewer bring a broad value-add network to support entrepreneurs. The Seraph Investor Network was founded with the vision of providing capital and support  in an expedient and efficient manner without geographic prejudice. Our Investor Network reaches 91+ cities and spans three continents. The reach provides valuable expertise to entrepreneurs and investors.  Seraph Group is comprised of a diverse group of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders across wide array of different industries. By leveraging this expertise, Seraph Group is able to evaluate and invest in venture scalable opportunities across most industries. Investments range from $50K to $1.5 million and can participate along any financing stage of the company. While Seraph Group is comprised solely of angel investors, the investment process mimics a traditional venture capital firm where there is a fund managed by a small investment team. This pool of smart capital brings singular access to a prestigious group of individuals that are all invested in an entrepreneur's business and its success.  In today' market, companies have proven that only a relatively small amount of capital infusion, under $1 million, is enough to build a venture scalable business. However, most entrepreneurs will attest, that raising $500K to $1.5 million, is the hardest amount of capital to raise because it is too small for traditional venture firms. Seraph Group's focus is to fill this unmet need in the market for professional, smart capital.  The primary investment criteria for companies raising money is for it to be a venture-scalable business and not a life-style business. Seraph Group will consider investing in any round of financing and has often invested alongside later-stage venture firms.

Seraph Group

DCVC backs entrepreneurs using Deep Tech to solve problems and multiply the benefits of capitalism for everyone while reducing its cost. Deep Tech is a potent approach to this challenge that enables more for less - now and for this century. The transformative companies in their portfolio combine the latest advances in science and technology with unique computing and algorithmic advantage, reducing CAPEX and OPEX.

DCVC

DHVC is a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, California. We invest in Enterprise, Consumer, FinTech, and Healthcare sectors. Our team brings together decades of combined experience in entrepreneurship, operations, investment, and research to serve our portfolio companies in growing and achieving success.

DHVC

Sunstone Management (“Sunstone”) is a diversified private capital management and investment firm.

Sunstone Management

Eclipse Ventures is a seed-stage venture firm managed by a team of former operators who are passionate about modernizing massive, physical industries like manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and healthcare. They work side by side with experienced founders who understand the need to transform these industries, and they provide guidance on everything from operating practices to fundraising strategies. Partnering means deep engagement as they build generational companies in sectors that define and propel economies.

Eclipse Ventures

The OS Fund finances and supports inventors and scientists who are working on audacious breakthroughs to solve the greatest issues and opportunities facing humanity today. Our mission is to partner with tech pioneers who aim to improve the lives of billions of people around the world for generations to come.  In the same way that computers have operating systems at their core — dictating the way a computer works and serving as a foundation upon which all applications are built — everything in life has an operating system (OS).

OS Fund

Hedgewood is the personal investment vehicle of long time internet entrepreneur Jesse Rasch. It invests using proprietary capital, allowing for longer investment horizons and a broad range of asset classes. Further, as a globally minded investor, Hedgewood actively pursues and engages in a wide variety of investment opportunities in Canada, the United States, and internationally.

Hedgewood

StartX is a 501(c)(3) Stanford-affiliated nonprofit in Silicon Valley that runs one of the world’s top startup accelerator programs. Its mission is to advance the development of the best entrepreneurs through experiential education and peer learning. Since launching in 2010, it has supported more than 450 companies and 1000 entrepreneurs, from early to pre-IPO stage, working across a wide spectrum of industries.    StartX and StartX Med, dedicated to medical and biotechnology innovation, provide founders with access to a powerful network of entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and industry partners, along with office space and a variety of other resources. Based in Palo Alto, the accelerator also operates StartX-QB3 Labs and the Stanford-StartX Fund. We are funded by Stanford University, Stanford Health Care, Microsoft, Steelcase, Hyundai, Oriza Ventures, Nissan, Panasonic, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Analog Devices, Silicon Valley Bank, Greylock Partners, Sequoia Capital, and many others. For more information, visit startx.com The company is associated investment vehicle, the Stanford-StartX Fund is a partnership between StartX, Stanford University and Stanford Health Care.  It can invest only in StartX companies who raise qualified rounds of venture capital using objective criteria; it is founder opt-in.

StartX (Stanford-StartX Fund)

In physics, 11.2 km/s is the escape velocity from Earth's gravity. They focus on emerging technologies such as AI, cybersecurity, robotics, quantum, new space, computational therapeutics, synthetic biology.  ​They believe great people are leading indicators of a company's success. 11.2 Capital’s technical background, operational experience, and a strong network of amazing advisors and international partners particularly in Asia deliver a unique set of resources to entrepreneurs. While they are happy to help companies across the full range of early-stage company questions, areas where they concentrate include technical recruiting, partnerships (OEM and distribution partnerships for smart hardware companies, data partnerships for data-driven healthcare companies), customer introductions (CISO introductions for security companies, provider introductions for healthcare companies), and follow-on financings.

11.2 Capital

KG Investments is a private family office fund focused on investing in technology companies through direct investments and secondary loans. This approach is guided by its extensive background of building and investing in technology-related companies over the last 20 years.KG Investments also invests in uncorrelated professionally managed Hedge & Private Equity funds as a Limited Partner looking for unique differentiated opportunities.  It was founded in 2006 and is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

KG Investments

Best-in-class investments mainly in the U.S. medical devices technology, as well as biotech, and mobile healthcare sectors through early sta

Shangbay Capital

EPIQ Capital Group is a boutique multi-family office that serves a select group of ultra-high net worth clients and their families. EPIQ clients are given direct access to the investments and investing acumen that families of significant wealth deserve. It was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

EPIQ Capital Group

Lucira Health

Lucira Health is a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of transformative and innovative infectious disease test kits. Lucira has developed a testing platform that produces centralized-laboratory-accurate molecular testing in a single-use and consumer-friendly test kit that is powered by two AA batteries and fits in the palm of a hand.

<div>California-based Lucira Health is a biotechnology company that produces disposable tests for infectious diseases. The company has currently commercialized COVID-19 tests and is currently developing diagnostic tests for other respiratory infections, women&rsquo;s health, and sexually transmitted infections. The company is publicly traded under the ticker symbol LHDX and has been listed on the NASDAQ since February 2021.</div>

More important now than ever, telehealth will long outlast the pandemic that drove its growth.

Telehealth

Pfizer Buys Lucira Health for $36.4M Through Bankruptcy Auction

<div>
 
 California-based Lucira Health is a biotechnology company that produces disposable tests for infectious diseases. The company has currently commercialized COVID-19 tests and is currently developing diagnostic tests for other respiratory infections, women&rsquo;s health, and sexually transmitted infections. The company is publicly traded under the ticker symbol LHDX and has been listed on the NASDAQ since February 2021.
 
 
 In November 2022 Lucira Health launched a virtual testing program called Lucira Connect which allows users who potentially contract COVID-19 to carry out a test, inquire about treatment options, virtually consult with an independent clinician, and obtain a prescription for medication if required. The at-home test, which costs USD 29 per test, can produce 98% accurate results within 30 minutes of administering and allows users to receive their results on mobile devices.&nbsp;
 
 
 In April 2023, the company was acquired by Pfizer for a total consideration of USD 36.4 million through a bankruptcy auction.The company filed for bankruptcy in February 2023 and had USD 146 million in assets and USD 85 million in debts, as of December 2022. The acquisition closed on April 20, 2023.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In November, Lucira Health partnered with Pfizer to increase awareness of COVID-19 and inform individuals about the risks associated with the disease, and relevant treatment options. Pfizer agreed to also provide Lucira Health with resources to help users who test positive understand the risks associated with the progression of severe cases of COVID-19.&nbsp;
 
 
 
</div>

<div>
 
 Nice Healthcare is a US based telehealth company with a focus on primary care services to business-to-business (B2B) clients. Once the employer signs its employees with Nice (at a cost of USD 30 to USD 36 per employee per month), employees do not have to incur out of pocket expenses for Nice services and can schedule virtual or home visits within the time frames specified by the company. It connects patients with practitioners through a mobile app over video calls or text messages. Members can also request home visits which will be completed within a few hours, as claimed by the company. As of March 2022, Nice was operating in twelve states, and had over 400 small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
 
 
 In March 2022, the company raised USD 30 million in Series A financing led by DNA Capital which has been earmarked to expand its platform&rsquo;s reach among small and medium businesses. Additionally, the company is hiring three members for its management team to support the continuing growth of the organization.
 
 
 
</div>

Nice Healthcare

Amicomed is a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform which provides blood pressure monitoring services. It collects blood pressure data of patients from at-home devices, applies algorithms, and assesses the fluctuations in the blood pressure. Physicians can be connected and provided with blood pressure data of their patients in order to facilitate their workload, enabling more personalized management of patients regarding medication and lifestyle indications.Amicomed can also recommend actionable and personalized lifestyle interventions such as daily diet and exercises via virtual coaching.

Amicomed

Winston is a men’s health telemedicine platform that treats common issues impacting men such as sexual problems, hair loss, acne, and cold sores. Winston allows patients to consult doctors, place orders for prescription drugs, and offers free delivery to the homes of patients.The Toronto-based company aims to avoid men deferring doctor visits or withholding sensitive information. The consultation fee is covered by the provincial health plan, but the prescriptions are billed to the customer.

Winston

<div>
 
 Dialogue partners with employers and health insurers to offer telehealth services to their employees and members. The users have 24/7 access to doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals via audio, video, and chat options for wide arrays of physical and mental health needs, artificial intelligence-enabled (AI-enabled) triage, referrals, and prescription renewals. 
 
 
 The company launched its trademarked Integrated Health Platform in January 2021 to consolidate its virtual care, wellness programs, mental healthcare services, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) onto a single platform. The company claims to be the only integrated health and wellness B2B platform in Canada. 
 
 
 Key Customers and partnerships
 
 
 Dialogue had direct relationships with over 2,000 customers across Canada and Germany as of December 2020 and served around 50,000 organizations through these partnerships. In addition, the number of members with access to the virtual platform topped 1 million in January 2021. 
 
 
 Fundings and financials
 
 
 As of March 2021, Dialogue was planning to raise CAD 100 million (USD 80 million) from an initial public offering that will be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol &ldquo;CARE.&rdquo; 
 
 
 In Q2 2023, net losses reduced significantly YoY to CAD 5.8 million (USD 4.3 million) from CAD 8.4 million (USD 6.3 million) in Q2 2022. Top-line revenue met internal expectations, growing 17.2% YoY to CAD 25.5 million (USD 19.0 million), driven by &nbsp;an increase in new members (by 18.6% YoY), 
 an expansion of the attach rate as existing customers added more services, and full-quarter contributions from Tictrac.
 
 Dialogue Health has not provided any forward-looking guidance as the company has entered into an agreement to be 
 <a href="https://investors.dialogue.co/English/news/news-details/2023/Dialogue-to-be-Acquired-by-Sun-Life/default.aspx">
 acquired by financial services company Sun Life Financial
 </a>
 for a consideration of CAD 365 million (USD 270 million) or CAD 5.15 (USD 3.82) per share. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2023. Post acquisition, Dialogue will delist from the Toronto Stock Exchange but will continue to operate as a standalone entity under the &ldquo;Sun Life Canada&rdquo; brand from its head office in Qu&eacute;bec. 
 
 
 
</div>

Dialogue

Grin offers telemedicine and remote monitoring services for orthodontic needs such as braces and teeth straightening. Patients can conduct self-scans (using a Grin device made available to patients in collaboration with 3M) which can be connected to their smartphones and share the feed with orthodontists to access dental solutions. The company plans to go to a subscription-based model after the pandemic. The app also encourages patients to have a 40-second check monthly and share the scan with a dentist in order to allow patients to regularly maintain their dental hygiene.Grin is the only Telehealth disruptor covered on the hub that provides virtual orthopaedic consultations.Funding and financialsIn April 2021, the New York-based teledental platform concluded a seed funding of USD 14 million, and the funds will be allocated to develop additional functionalities by building out its technology. The proceeds will also be used to scale up its team, expand its geographic footprint, and add doctors to the company’s orthodontic partner network.

Grin

Real-time collection of patients’ health-related data using any remote patient monitoring device combined with general telemedicine services to reduce readmission rates. 


A platform that facilitates the transmission of patient data to different locations for further evaluation and interpretation by medical specialists. 


A digital platform that offers specialty care services to address the specific needs of a patient or demographic, including consultations where patients are generally reluctant to meet practitioners face-to-face.

Primary care through virtual consultations for general health-related concerns using a digital platform or mobile app. 

Companies developing B2B software solutions for patient engagement, care navigation, practice management, and electronic health records integration to facilitate telehealth services for healthcare providers. 

IoT is used by most telehealth providers to operate virtual services

All telehealth players are involved in digital health via virtual offerings

Industry players offer varying degrees of personalization for each target audience

Some players offer technology and platforms to healthcare providers, converting physical-only services into virtual services

Specific telehealth offerings focus on diversity and inclusion, providing care to LGBTQ+ or BIPOC populations

Generative AI is used to streamline administrative tasks such as clinical note-taking

Lucira Health

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