Portfolio News

Grail Encouraged By New Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas Data

At the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting on June 4, 2018, GRAIL announced the clinical results from a 127-patient sub-study of its Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas (CCGA) trial. The analysis revealed that the company’s genome-sequencing blood tests can detect lung cancer with 98% specificity and up to 92% sensitivity. At that 98% specificity, the sensitivity of the tests ranged from 38% to 51% in participants with early-stage lung cancer, and from 87% to 89% in patients with later-stage cancer. “[The initial data from CCGA is...

The Funded: 10 Bay Area Companies Disclose $220M in Funding at Midweek

Ten companies located in the San Francisco Bay area have raised a total of about $220 million in new funding, according to the San Jose Business Journal. CareZone, a McKesson Ventures Portfolio company that has developed a smartphone app for managing medications and chronic health conditions, raised $50 million in a Series D round led by New Enterprise Associates. Other participants in the funding round include McKesson Ventures, SalesForce CEO Marc Benioff, Catamount, and Obvious Ventures. Other companies that received funding this week include: Cloudtenna, an enterprise...

Patient Medication, Health Management Platform CareZone Raises $50M

CareZone, a platform for managing chronic illness and organizing health records, has raised $50 million in a series D funding round led by New Enterprise Associates, with participation from McKesson Ventures and Marc Benioff. CareZone is an app that helps users keep track of their medications and makes managing chronic illnesses easier. To document medications, users point their smartphone camera at each of their medications. CareZone takes the data from the medication labels and populates the information within the app. The app also gives users information about...

Charleston health care startup nabs $4 million investment from vision insurer

PokitDok, a Charleston heath care startup, was awarded a $4 million investment from one of the US’s largest vision insurance companies, California-based VSP Global. This builds on the company’s existing financing efforts, which include a $5 million from Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America. Joe Murad, PokitDok’s chief executive, says that the deals help cover operating costs and lend the company credibility. PokitDok’s platform, built on blockchain, links a constellation of computer systems in an effort to consolidate patient information and records. VSP compares the approach to...

Unforgettable Dementia Product Design

Adam Vaughan, head of new product development and innovation at Unforgettable, was recently featured by the Alzheimer’s Show for his work servicing those affected by memory loss and dementia. Vaughan became a designer to make a positive impact on the world, so when a role with Unforgettable came along he made sure to take advantage of the opportunity. With a background working in product design and strategic development for Inzenka and LEGO Group, his position at Unforgettable has allowed him to combine his past experiences into...