Portfolio News

With $1.3 billion in venture funding, the femtech space is booming

There’s been a lot of talk about “femtech” booming over the past several months. However, a new report by Rock Health shows that even though there’s been a lot of funding in the space so far this year, it still accounts for a tiny fraction of total dollars going into healthcare. According to the Rock Health report, through the first eight months of 2021, digital health startups targeting women reached $1.3 billion. Although this is already double the $774 million raised in 2020, it was still...

Aledade Named Among 2021 Best Workplaces for Women by FORTUNE and Great Place to Work

FORTUNE and Great Place to Work have ranked Aledade as one of 2021’s Best Workplaces for Women. Ranked 12th on the list, it’s Aledade’s second year in a row receiving the honor. The annual FORTUNE and Great Place to Work awards are based on survey responses from employees, an analysis which includes over 5.6 million individuals. On average, about 59% of employees feel their company is a great place to work. Aledade blew that number out of the water, with a whopping 96% of employees saying...

New multi-cancer early detection blood test study opens

The University of Oxford has opened a new study, which will trial a new multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test for early detection of more than 50 types of cancer. The study, SYMPLIFY, is also open at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) and already includes more than 500 participants. That number could double by the end of the trial. The research team is supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, which is currently recruiting about 6,000 patients to participate in a trial of the Galleri blood...

Inspired by Airbnb, Hims & Hers offers 10,000 free medical visits to displaced Afghan refugees

Our portfolio company, Hims & Hers, is in the process of distributing 10,000 free primary care and mental health visits to displaced Afghan refugees. According to a post on the company blog, Hims & Hers plans to coordinate with select non-governmental organizations and other relevant partners, including the providers on our platform, to make sure these refugees are aware of these services and get the support they need. The visits are immediately available to refugees. “We feel a moral responsibility to act—and fast,” Dudum wrote in the...

AllStripes Raises $50 million to support rare disease research

AllStripes recently closed a $50 million Series B funding round led by Lux Capital, with participation from McKesson Ventures, JAZZ Venture Partners, Spark Capital, Medidata Solutions (a Dassault Systèmes company), and Maveron, along with angel investors including Arif Nathoo, CEO of McKesson Ventures portfolio company Komodo Health; and Leila Zegna, director of the Kabuki Syndrome Foundation. AllStripes, formerly known as RDMD was founded in 2017 by Nancy Yu, who had previously been in corporate development for 23andMe; and Onno Faber, a developer who was diagnosed with...