RW Blears转发了
Co-Founder @ Empirical Ventures | Scientist | Entrepreneur | Investor | PhD Chemistry
I spend a lot of time with the team at Empirical Ventures thinking about what components of a deal lead to conviction for investment. We also spend a lot of time thinking about what technology will enable the future and how we can spot entrepreneurial scientists working at the forefronts of their respective fields. Our latest deal highlights several of the common themes we think about. Breakthrough Technology; MintNeuro are at the forefront of the field in creating bidirectional integrated chipsets that can both stimulate and sense on the same electrodes thus enabling footprint minimisation compared to using two independent chipsets. This technology also enable closed-loop applications, key to maximising the benefit of neural implants. MintNeuro are addressing these issues by providing a high performing custom off the shelf solution for sensing, stimulation and bidirectional chipsets at a fraction of the price of an ASIC and because the libraries have been created, they can build these integrated chips quicker than the ASIC route. MintNeuro have the potential to become market dominant within the next 5-10 years. Future Market Potential; Morgan Stanley?just released a report on the future of Brain Computer Interfaces which covers only a ? of the total neural implant market, estimating that this sector could represent a $400B market opportunity in USA alone. The report highlights that there are 3 million potential users of first generation commercial devices, with a further 7 million people with follow on generation devices to come. The Beach head for BCI will treat patients with motor impairment, with further initial focus on neurodegenerative disease (ALS), spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis?and stroke. MintNeuro has the opportunity to provide the chipsets to support this entire industry. I often talk about supporting the right team as an early-stage investor. Domain Experts; MintNeuro have done just that in assembling a world leading team of experts in chip and neural implant design, with the technology that is being commercialised built from a decade of research and ￡10m of research funding in the lab of Timothy Constandinou, Professor of Bioelectronics at Imperial College London. Dorian Haci, PhD (CEO) academic co-founder and Andrew Jackson have exceptional knowledge of the semiconductor industry in neural implants. The team is augmented by chair Tim Denison, Ph.D., founder of Amber Therapeutics who recently raised $100m to develop their closed-loop implant for urge and mixed urinary incontinence. Read more about it on the link below. https://lnkd.in/ebXrht8X
What do you think is required to enable the next generation of neural implants? MintNeuro might just have the answer after securing their first external funding round to develop their innovative semiconductor-based approach for neural implants. Traditional treatments for neurological disorders, like pharmaceuticals, often fall short. Developed at Imperial College London MintNeuro’s scalable, low-power chips are transforming the possibilities of neural implants by making them smaller, more efficient, and accessible for a wider range of neurological conditions. Empirical Ventures is proud to have led this round alongside Parkwalk Advisors, Imperial College London and Plug and Play Tech Center. This funding will accelerate MintNeuro’s chip development and allow it to grow its expert team. The potential is vast: from monitoring epilepsy to treating Parkinson's, dementia, and beyond. The neural implant market is expected to expand rapidly, and we’re proud to support entrepreneurial scientists like MintNeuro's Dorian Haci, PhD and Timothy Constandinou as they pioneer a new era of neurological care. Congratulations to the MintNeuro team, and here’s to reshaping the future of neural technology! #Investment #NeuroTech #Innovation #HealthcareTech #EmpiricalVentures CAPITAL AT RISK FOR PROFESSIONAL INVESTORS ONLY. https://lnkd.in/earKiCZN