We have smart insoles. Smart knees. Self-driven neurological assessments. 3D printed pancreatic tissue. Custom small batch manufacturing. Music as Medicine.
We have precision healthcare. We are monitoring remotely. We are changing behaviour.
We have true A.I. & M.L. We have software as a medical device (SaMD), recovery curves, new technology add on payments (NTAP), and a Breakthrough Designation hat trick.
We have more than 300 filed and/or issued patents. We have know-how.
We have Deloitte’s #1 Technology Fast 50 Company to Watch. We have a pair of Life Sciences BC winners for Medical/Digital Health Company of the year. We have a LSBC Growth Stage Life Sciences Company of the Year.
We have an Indigenous health collaboration.
We are directly delivering on SDG#3 (SDG 3.4 to be precise).
We have happiness metrics.
We have international partnerships with JDRF, Novo Nordisk, GSK, Merck, Cerevance, JSR Corporation, BMS, Michael J Fox Foundation, US Dept of Veteran Affairs, Everything ALS, JT Pharma and Zimmer Biomet.
We democratize access to care. We enable aging in place.
We are shifting the paradigm in chronic disease management.
We have care solutions for diabetes, impaired mobility, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, MS, anxiety, depression. We have stunning emerging technology advancing for cardiovascular care.
We have objectively measured negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients.
We have catalyzed some captivating headlines. From the Globe and Mail’s “Diabetes-Curing” for Aspect Biosystems to a relatively well known international daily newspaper declaring “The Future of Everything” in a profile on Canary Medical (in the Wall Street Journal J). And those were just last week!
We have been referenced on Stephen Colbert (jump to ~ 4:11).
Not bad for a first-time fund, eh?
ROUNDUP of THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
Reflection and reporting go hand in hand in this business. We recently published the Relentless Venture Fund’s 2022 annual report for our Limited Partners. Super proud to share excerpts that shine a light on what has been going on under the proverbial hood. That is in addition to the ‘royal we’ list covered above that dips into portfolio achievements for Q1 2023.
In a short five years our team has,
· Constructed an early-stage portfolio that addresses all six target themes, spans a spectrum of technical and commercial risk profiles, and demonstrates adoption of the technology trends we targeted from the onset, inclusive of A.I.
· Achieved portfolio diversity metrics that anecdotally surpass most of our ecosystem peers. 75% of our portfolio includes companies founded or co-founded by women, executives who have immigrated to North America, executives and co-founders who are visible minorities and co-founders from the LGBTQ+ community.
· Engineered an exit via acquisition. Plus, we have had one IPO thus far.
· Led and co-led new investments.
· Amplified our role in the Canadian ecosystem as a social impact investor.
· Actively invested in technologies that address the needs and improve the quality of life of our aging population, while also targeting broader healthcare markets.
Major achievements from the first five years of our maturing portfolio include:
· Commercial launch of the world’s first ‘smart orthopedic product’ (Canary’s PersonaIQ, smart total knee replacement).
· Delivery of the first smart insole to market that prevents diabetic foot ulcers (Orpyx Medical)pyx.com/.
· Executed a MedTech partnership that has brought in tens of millions in non-dilutive funding (Canary Medical).
· Acquired assets to extend geographical footprint, intellectual property, and global partnerships (Modality.AI).
· Executed a multi-billion-dollar pharma deal for obesity and Type I diabetes (Aspect Biosystems).
So, What’s Next???
Well, we have already identified and invested in game-changing companies that are proving to transform healthcare as we know it. So, we intend to grow what we have nurtured these past five years with a much larger second fund. Join us! Invest in Relentless 2.0. Together, we will create a healthier and more equitable future.
We are the only activated Canadian health venture fund with specific intention to provide solutions that meet the health needs and demands of our aging population.
We are proud to have invested in ‘fancy medical people’ (as per Stephen Colbert) and teams that place health at the heart of their days.