SmartGateVC

As we welcome ThirdLaw Molecular to the SmartGateVC family, we are excited about the future we are building together. ThirdLaw is founded by Prof. Christian Schafmeister, the inventor of stapled peptides, which led to the creation of Rein Therapeutics and Parabilis Medicines. The company is pioneering Spiroligomer™ molecules - a new class of synthetic therapeutics designed to overcome the limitations of small molecules and biologics.  With $16.5M in non-dilutive funding from the United States Department of Defense and a 4.5B+ programmable compound library, ThirdLaw Molecular is unlocking a fundamentally new approach to drug discovery. Spiroligomers™ are precision-engineered to bind virtually any protein target - including those previously dismissed as “undruggable” - with unmatched selectivity, bioavailability, and cell permeability. Unlike traditional discovery approaches that rely on trial and error, Spiroligomers™ can be computationally designed for specific targets, paving the way for rational drug design at an unprecedented scale and speed.  We co-led ThirdLaw’s $1.5M pre-seed round and are excited to partner with Prof. Christian Schafmeister and the team as they push the boundaries of molecular therapeutics. Check out more here: https://lnkd.in/g8Gu74iy PS: in the photo, Dr. Schafmeister with 2016 Nobel Prize laureate, Sir Fraser Stoddart, who popularized the term 'molecular LEGO' and endorsed its use to describe programmable, shape-defined Spiroligomers.

2024 was a landmark year for SmartGateVC, as we expanded our portfolio to 33 investments, with several yet to be announced. SuperAnnotate’s $36M Series B with NVIDIA and Databricks highlighted the impact of our early bets, while the Deep Origin and Biosim AI merger and the launch of #Balto, the first AI drug modeling assistant, paved the way for innovation in life sciences. Newly announced investments, including Ritual Dental, TACTUN, and Vonova, were added to our portfolio. Our focus remains on transformative opportunities in AI x Physical World, AI x Cybersecurity, and AI x Life Sciences. We also welcomed Areg Alimian as Partner, enhancing our capacity to support high-growth startups (stay tuned for more news re our team). As we approach the close of our second fund, we thank our investors and partners for their trust and support - 2025 is set to be another year of significant progress and milestones.

Forbes recently featured Armine Galstyan and our investment journey at SmartGateVC! As we near the close of our second fund, we are proud to reflect on the impact of our work: 🚀 32 pre-seed startups in our portfolio; 💼 $1B+ portfolio enterprise value; 📈 10-50x investment markups achieved. The article highlights our investment philosophy and approach: ✓ Spotting transformative technologies before they hit the mainstream; ✓ Backing visionary founders tackling technology's most complex challenges; ✓ Engineering unique deals to uncover overlooked opportunities. Kudos to Melissa Houston, CPA for capturing our journey with precision and insight. Check out the full article: https://lnkd.in/dyV4vQGB #DeepTech #Innovation #InvestmentStrategy

What an incredible milestone for SuperAnnotate, one of the early companies in the SmartGateVC portfolio! Back in 2018, long before AI emerged as the industry-defining trend it is today, we placed our bet on a capable team and an idea set to become best-in-class at feeding AI systems with high-quality data. Fast forward to now, we couldn’t be prouder to see SuperAnnotate close their $36M Series B round with strategic investors like Socium Ventures (Cox Enterprises), NVIDIA, Databricks Ventures as well as Lionel Messi’s Play Time, Glynn Capital, and others. Check out more here: https://lnkd.in/emHpqs-W. Congrats to the entire SuperAnnotate team! We are thrilled to be part of this journey riding the massive AI wave. Vahan Petrosyan Tigran Petrosyan

📢 Our portfolio company Deep Origin introduces #Balto, a cutting-edge AI assistant designed to tackle the complexities of drug discovery. #Balto leverages Deep Origin’s proprietary, high-performance molecular modeling algorithm, one of the most advanced available today, surpassing industry standards like AutoDock Vina and Schrödinger's Glide with 10x better enrichment factors. This level of performance opens up new horizons for researchers, offering batch docking capabilities for up to 1,000 compounds - an unprecedented scale in the search for viable drug candidates. Deep Origin’s #Balto also addresses practical research needs with enhanced document processing, such as a powerful PDF reader for streamlined data handling, enabling scientists to stay focused on discovery without interruption. Congrats Michael Antonov, Garegin Papoian & team! Learn more about how Balto is setting new standards in AI-driven drug discovery here: https://lnkd.in/d7XJhEys. #AI #DrugDiscovery #MolecularModeling

We are thrilled to announce our investment in Ritual Dental, a next-gen Dental Service Organization (DSO) integrating AI and microbiome science for preventive, patient-centered care. As the DSO space consolidates, Ritual Dental stands out with its focus on proactive care and data-driven insights that go beyond standard treatments. Check them out if you are in NYC! We see Ritual’s unique model as a scalable solution in a fragmented market, primed for acquisition by larger players seeking a modern, tech-enabled platform. We are excited to support their mission to redefine dental care through innovation. Discover more here: https://lnkd.in/dV87pK9w Ashot Arzumanyan, Areg Alimian, Jack Topdjian, Arman Ozgun #AI #DentalTech #DSO #Investment #PreventativeCare #Consolidation

Check out 2024 Q3 at SmartGateVC! This quarter, we welcomed Areg Alimian as a Partner, announced our investment in Vonova, a catheter-based brain interface platform, and led impactful events at Glendale Tech Week. Explore updates and deep dives into our portfolio companies as we continue driving innovation in AI and deep tech, reinforcing our role as a catalyst for transformative technologies.

Family offices need to focus on non-trivial VC allocations to capture higher returns, especially as it’s becoming increasingly challenging to make large returns these days. Amplifying impactful, future-driven investments is key. Join SmartGateVC Partner Areg Alimian at the Family Offices and Investors Summit, today, October 14, 3:00-5:00 PM PST, at The Sandbox. TECH WEEK by a16z, a16z crypto, a16z Bio + Health #LATechWeek #WorldEconomicForum #Investment #FamilyOffices #PrivateEquity #Capital #VC #Invest #AlternativeInvestment #WealthManagement #VentureCapital #HedgeFunds #Gaming #AI #InvestmentStrategies

The advent of LLMs opens up unprecedented challenges in cybersecurity. Not only the offensive capabilities grow exponentially, but also social engineering will transform into AI agent deception. New defensive capabilities will emerge. As part of #GlendaleTechWeek2024 we hosted a panel discussion on securing AI moderated by SmartGateVC partner Areg Alimian (formerly head of security products at Box) and with participation of Jensen Penalosa - Supervisory Special Agent at FBI Cyber Division, Cassio Goldschmidt - Chief Information Security Officer at ServiceTitan, Ravi Singh - President at Add Value Machine Inc, Demetrios Lazarikos Laz . - Career CISO, AI and Cybersecurity Strategist, Risk Executive, and Gary Askew - Field Chief Information Security Officer at Oracle. Thank you goes to all the speakers and Oracle for partnership and collaboration! Check out more details about the panel here: https://lnkd.in/dMeUuhKq

SmartGateVC portfolio companies TACTUN, Robin the Robot, by Expper Technologies and Vonova rocked among 7 other companies at #GlendaleTechWeek2024 Demo Day that we co-organized with the City of Glendale, CA! Thank you to the judges: Juan Saez - Founding Investor at Play Time, Armen Vartanian - Founder at Oceanview Capital Partners, Inc., Patrick Harmon Lopez - Principal at B Capital Group, Kenji (Ken) Funahashi - Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, moaz ゼ H. - Founding Partner at mvmt ventures. Congratulations to TACTUN for winning the top prize! Thank you to Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati for partnership. ‣ TACTUN is building the foundation for future autonomous machinery, enabling direct deployment of custom AI models to controllers. TACTUN’s no-code AI-powered industrial controller and app builder reduce development cycles by 5x for machinery manufacturers. With deep expertise in hardware and software, the team has a proven track record with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, ThermoFisher and other industry leaders. ‣ Robin the Robot, by Expper Technologies is a pioneering health tech company that developed Robin the Robot, a therapeutic companion providing essential mental health care to pediatric and geriatric facilities. Recognized as Time Magazine's Best Invention of the Year and awarded Fast Company’s Best Design Award, Robin is deployed in over 26 medical facilities, including UCLA Children’s Hospital and UMass Memorial Medical Center. Using evidence-based psychological tools and real-life feedback, Robin's character has been refined to resonate deeply with children and elderly, bringing them emotional support and positively impacting their health outcomes during medical treatments. ‣ Vonova is developing a minimally invasive endovascular platform to access the brain's surface without drilling through the skull. Initially targeting chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH) in the elderly for FDA pathway, it aims to reduce treatment from two anesthesia events to one, eliminating neurosurgery risks. cSDH treatment is projected to become the most common neurosurgical procedure by 2030, representing a $1.1 billion U.S. market. Cortical neuromodulation therapies for chronic pain, epilepsy, and other disorders are additional opportunities. Upon FDA approval, the technology also opens opportunities for minimally invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) use cases. Founded in 2022 by experts in endovascular devices and neurology, Vonova has secured two U.S. patents, demonstrated procedural feasibility with leading clinicians, established strategic collaborations - including one with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - and received the NIH Blueprint Seed Award.