S&S #10: Health as a Superpower

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Weekly Recap

Cash Cows

Between May 20th and May 26th, 70 companies in North America or Europe pulled in some fresh Seed capital. Of those, a few of the larger rounds include: 

Firestorm

Firestorm Labs specializes in mission-adaptable unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with a focus on modular drones for defense applications. Their flagship products, the Tempest drones and XCELL system, feature modular open-system architecture and enable on-site production and maintenance. They also offer digital training, simulated mission effects, and comprehensive mission planning tools.

Firestorm's technology provides adaptable, cost-effective solutions crucial for modern military operations requiring flexibility and quick response. Their modular design and distributed manufacturing reduce costs and enhance efficiency, making advanced aerial systems more accessible to defense organizations.

They recently raised $4 million in a funding round led by Susa Ventures.

Airloom Energy

Airloom Energy, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Laramie, Wyoming, is pioneering wind energy with its innovative design featuring 10-meter wings traveling along a lightweight track to generate energy. This unique setup aims to significantly reduce the cost of wind energy compared to traditional turbines.

Airloom's technology promises to make renewable energy more accessible and affordable by drastically lowering production costs. Their flexible, scalable systems can adapt to various landscapes, enhancing the viability of wind energy in diverse environments and offering a cost-effective alternative to conventional wind turbines.

They recently secured $12.7 million in funding from 21 investors, including notable names like Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Lowercarbon Capital. This funding will support the development and deployment of their innovative wind energy systems, further advancing their mission to make renewable energy more affordable and widespread.

Remark

Remark is an innovative platform designed to enhance the online shopping experience by pairing customers with real product experts. The platform integrates with online stores to provide personalized guidance through live chat, improving customer satisfaction and increasing conversion rates. By transforming customer interactions into valuable content, Remark helps brands create a more engaging and effective online shopping journey.

Remark's significance lies in its ability to bring the in-store experience online, offering personalized assistance that reduces decision paralysis and boosts sales. This tailored approach not only enhances the customer experience but also increases conversion rates and reduces return rates, making it a vital tool for online retailers aiming to improve their bottom line.

They recently raised $10 million in a funding round led by various investors, including Spero Ventures, Stripe, Twelve Below, and several angels. This capital will be used to expand its capabilities, enhance the platform's features, and increase its market reach, enabling more brands to offer personalized, expert-driven shopping guidance to their customers​

Unify

Unify.ai is a platform designed to optimize the use of large language models (LLMs) by integrating multiple models for enhanced performance. It allows users to combine models from various providers to achieve faster, cheaper, and higher-quality responses. By using a single API key, Unify facilitates seamless access to all supported models, enabling users to customize routing based on cost, latency, and output quality.

Unify is crucial for developers and businesses looking to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of AI-driven applications. By intelligently routing queries to the best-performing models, it ensures optimal performance, cost-efficiency, and speed. This makes it an invaluable tool for organizations aiming to leverage the full potential of LLMs without the complexity of managing multiple providers.

They recently raised $8M from several top venture capital firms and angel investors, including Y Combinator, Lunar VC, Abstraction Capital, A Capital, J12 Ventures, Pioneer Fund, and Samsung NEXT.

Limula Biotech

Limula Biotech, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, specializes in developing automated solutions for cell and gene therapy production. Their modular bioreactor systems streamline complex cell therapy manufacturing processes by performing all steps within a single, closed system, significantly reducing manual intervention and the need for large clean room facilities.

Limula's innovative approach advances the accessibility and scalability of cell and gene therapies, which are traditionally labor-intensive and costly. By automating the manufacturing process, Limula reduces costs and minimizes contamination risks, making these treatments more accessible to a broader patient population. Their technology supports both autologous (patient-specific) and allogeneic (donor-derived) cell therapies, enhancing its versatility and appeal to various stakeholders in the biotech industry.

In their latest seed funding round, Limula secured $6.8 million. This round was led by LifeX Ventures and included participation from other investors such as Verve Ventures and Oxford Seed Fund. 

Other Innovators 

Cellugy 

Not sure if you saw the recent studies on phthalates, but it’s alarming to say the least. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics “softer”, more durable, and more flexible, and are used commonly in packaging. Unfortunately, the known endocrine disruptor has permeated. According to a Consumer Reports investigation, 84 out of 85 tested food products, including yogurt, soda, fast food, poultry, meat, seafood, and canned fruits and vegetables, contained phthalates. 

It’s in everything we consume, everything we wear, and now, us. It’s in our balls, for god’s sake. 

Cellugy is producing phthalate substitutes made from biofabricated cellulose, making an effort to unlock sustainable pathways to reduce our reliance on petrochemical-based additives. 

StrokeDX

StrokeDX has developed a portable device designed to transform stroke diagnosis. The portable diagnostic tech uses magnetic fields to detect areas of too much or too little blood flow, generating a predictive image of the stroke’s location that reduces diagnosis time to 1-2.5 minutes. 

The longer a stroke is, the more devastating. As such, the ability to quickly and accurately diagnose a stroke is a crucial factor in the mitigation of potentially drastic ramifications. 

Pretty cool stuff. Alright, let’s get to it. 

Our Seed of the Week 

Let's start with a quick exercise. Imagine your current health score, considering factors within your control. What number out of 10 comes to mind?

Regardless of your “score”, would you like to be healthier? 

Of course, you do! Unfortunately, the gap between wanting and achieving better health is relatively large, and for many, it feels insurmountable.

Superpower, our company of focus, is attempting to close the gap, and just got a fresh injection of $4M from Susa Ventures and friends to do so. 

And it couldn’t come at a better time… 

Current State of Health: Uhhhhhhh Not Good

• 50-70 million Americans have sleep disorders.

• 1 in 3 adults (84 million) do not regularly get 7-9 hours of sleep.

• Only 32% report "excellent" or "very good" sleep quality.

• 14.5% struggle to fall asleep most days, with women more affected than men.

• 17.8% have trouble staying asleep.

• Over 35% get less than 7 hours of sleep per night.

• 84 out of 85 food samples tested contained phthalates and BPA, endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to hormonal imbalances.

• None of the phthalate levels exceeded regulatory limits, but there is no confirmed safe level according to experts.

• Highly processed foods like frozen meals and fast foods contained some of the highest phthalate levels.

• Nearly 90% of Americans consume more sodium than recommended daily limits.

• Only 12.2% of Americans meet the recommended intake for fruits, and 9.3% for vegetables.

• 63% of Americans are overweight or obese, increasing risks for chronic diseases.

• The typical American diet is high in unhealthy fats, sodium, added sugars, and environmental contaminants while lacking essential nutrients - setting the stage for obesity and hormonal disruption.

• Endocrine-disrupting chemicals like phthalates and BPA found ubiquitously in food can interfere with hormone regulation.

• 39.8% of adults aged 20 and over had obesity in 2015-2016, increasing risks for diabetes, infertility, and other hormonal issues.

• An estimated 30 million Americans have a thyroid disorder like hypothyroidism that impacts metabolism and hormones.

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a leading cause of infertility, affects up to 15% of women of childbearing age.

• Exposure to endocrine disruptors, obesity, and conditions like thyroid disorders and PCOS are contributing to widespread hormonal imbalances in the U.S. population.

• Only 23% of adults meet the guidelines of 150+ minutes/week of moderate aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activities.

• 25% of adults are completely inactive, doing no leisure-time physical activity.

• Inactivity increases with age, from 19% among 18-44 year olds to 31% for those 65 and older.

• 36% of high school students do not meet physical activity guidelines.

Pretty scary, right? It gets worse. Data shows we can’t chalk it up to ignorance. 

Knowledge isn’t power

A recent survey by OnePoll in 2022 suggested that 53% of Americans don't consider their lifestyle "healthy", and the same percentage don't feel capable of improving their health. 

When asked for which reasons they don’t feel capable, 39% cited a lack of understanding of the best actions to take in order to be healthy, 39% cited being overwhelmed by the number of different options they had to improve their health, and 36% cited cost as a barrier to entry to a healthier lifestyle. 

This makes sense. All of these issues are connected. Let’s look at an example scenario. 

Meet Bob. Bob is unhealthy (sorry stock photo guy, I’m sure you’re fine). Bob does not want to be unhealthy anymore. So, Bob sets out to optimize his health. 

Hurdle #1: Lack of understanding of the best actions to take in order to be healthy

That’s fine. Bob educates himself. After a couple of weeks of post-work research, he has a decent idea of the steps he needs to take to address his poor health, and he starts to look into different options for supplements, personalized nutrition plans, sleep optimization apps, personal training programs, etc. 

Uh oh! Turns out there are a thousand options for each. 

Hurdle #2: Overwhelming number of different options to improve health

No matter. Bob is determined. After some more research, he identifies the best options for him and begins to purchase. 

Hurdle #3: Cost 

Jesus Christ. 

Bob just spent $3k on a month’s worth of supplements, personalized training plans, personalized nutrition plans, sleeping powders, meditation apps, telemedicine subscriptions, nootropics, smart scales, and wearables. He’s a couple grand in the hole and now he has 10 different new, disconnected things to do every day to ensure he stays as healthy as can be. 

As he doom-scrolls through Instagram questioning whether it was all worth it, three ads come up on his Instagram for a different sleeping pill, a new mushroom-infused multivitamin that guarantees a 5% growth in muscle mass, and a food subscription box that looks way better than the one he just bought. 

Bob is panicking. Did Bob make the right decisions? What if Bob overlooked something? 

Dramatic, sure, but the data suggests at some level this is a shared experience. Getting it right is hard. There isn’t some magic program that perfectly tailors a health solution to Bob, guided by experts and informed by Bob’s genetics and lifestyle. 

Or is There?  

Superpower is a digital platform and connected healthcare service aiming to transform consumer health into a proactive, data-driven system, empowering individuals to reach their peak potential and live better for longer.

Branded as, “the most complete picture of your health you’ve ever had”, the company offers a health membership that includes whole body testing, personalized action plans written by doctors, access to all of your relevant health data, and access to a marketplace of pre-vetted and personalized selections of discounted health products to choose from. 

Measurements and Tested Parameters include: 

• Hormone Levels 

• Thyroid Health

• Heart Health

• Toxin Levels

• Genetic Predispositons

• Microbiome 

• Disease risk 

Based on these tests, users are given an annual roadmap of focus areas and action items to take to improve their overall health and well-being, ordered by priority. Proprietary algorithms combine data from various tests to provide a cohesive, prioritized, and personalized health plan. For example, years one and two may be focused on improving gut health based on the microbiome test, whereas years three and four may be focused on preserving and boosting testosterone and fertility based on the results of blood tests.

Each user is paired with several doctors of different disciplines responsible for creating a connected, comprehensive plan. In addition, it appears the platform includes tele-health access to both live doctors and 24/7 access to a “private concierge doctor”, which looks to be an LLM-powered chatbot that’s likely trained on user data to help customers navigate their health plans and answer questions regarding their health plans. 

Superpower is backed and supported by a group of top doctors, scientists, and technologists including: 

• Derick En’Wezoh: Harvard MD, Stanford MBA, Susa Ventures Partner

• Balaji Srinivasan: Ex-CTO (Coinbase), Ex-GP at A16z

• Dr. Jordan Shlain, MD: Founder of Private Medical

• Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, MD: Physician & founder of The Centre for New Medicine

The service is not yet released for public consumption, but you can learn more about the company and sign up for the waitlist here. 

Speculations 

By all means, this looks like it solves Hurdles #1 and #2. By connecting all aspects of health into one, data-driven system, Superpower will undoubtedly make it easier to manage and improve health and wellbeing. 

I’m kind of a nerd about this type of stuff and have spent my fair share of hard-earned $$ on a suite of different wearables, supplements, etc. to try to feel as good as possible, so I’m excited about Superpower. I signed up for the waitlist, and am eager to try it out. 

Here’s the problem. I find it hard to believe this is a sustainable business model if they’re charging a reasonable price for access to the service, and I’m not sure it’s going to be accessible for everyone.

They’re on a mission to fix a broken healthcare system, but it’s unclear how they plan to circumnavigate hurdle #3.

With that said, I don’t want to make any more assumptions. From the information available, Superpower looks like one of the better, most comprehensive solutions I’ve seen within the personalized health and wellness space, and it’s exciting. 

I’ll update this post and send out a short update whenever we get more information on pricing. 

Thanks for reading, everyone. See you tomorrow.