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Clinia closes $5 million to scale B2B health search infrastructure (BETAKIT)
In an interview with BetaKit, Clinia co-founder and CEO Simon Bédard said that patients need help to access the right health resources. According to Bédard, general search engines like Google provide a glut of search results muddled with marketing, which can make it difficult for users with specific health issues to determine “what’s good and not good” for their individual situations.
Blackstone growth leads $200 million investment in DNAnexus (BLOOMBERG)
The series I round values the Mountain View, California-based company at about $600 million.
GoodRx snaps up tech-backed pharmacy platform vitaCare for $150M (MOBI HEALTH NEWS)
Medication price transparency tool GoodRx is scooping up tech-backed pharmacy platform vitaCare for $150 million in cash, with an additional $7 million contingent based on performance.
Phoenix Fire launches angel fund focused on women entrepreneurs (BETAKIT)
A new group has launched an angel fund focused on investing in women entrepreneurs. The fund, Phoenix Fire, is part of the Archangel Network of Funds and is led by managing partner Danielle Graham and TD Bank executive Claudette McGowan.
ADHD drugs are convenient to get online. Maybe too convenient (BLOOMBERG)
Backed by SoftBank and promoted by Simone Biles, Cerebral has built the fastest-growing online mental health business. Former employees say the rapid expansion comes at the expense of patient care.
The Group Ventures secures $20 million for Fund II to invest in Canadian, Israeli tech startups (BETAKIT)
In an exclusive interview with BetaKit, Balass and Carr spoke about the firm’s first fund, investment strategy, and what TGV hopes to accomplish through Fund II.
On Depop, sellers are pushing shady secondhand pills (WIRED)
The popular ecommerce site is riddled with half-used packets of diet pills and harmful health supplements, highlighting the need for tougher regulation.
Clio and Trulioo say not now to IPOs as CEOs discuss unicorn M&A strategies (BETAKIT)
At a recent event for BetaKit Patreon supporters, Clio CEO Jack Newton and Trulioo CEO Steve Munford revealed that they aren’t planning to take their companies public anytime soon, and shared an in-depth look at how the two BC tech unicorns tackle mergers and acquisitions.
In a defamation lawsuit, the hype around digital health clashes with scientific criticism (STAT NEWS)
Aretraction often marks the end of a dispute over published scientific research. But in the case of a $300 digital fertility tracker marketed by Valley Electronics, it was only the beginning
Zymeworks co-founder, former CEO Ali Tehrani joins Amplitude Ventures as venture partner (BETAKIT)
Precision health-focused investment fund Amplitude Ventures has strengthened its team by adding biotech veteran Ali Tehrani as a venture partner. The move comes shortly after Tehrani stepped down as president and CEO of Vancouver-based Zymeworks, which he co-founded over 18 years ago.
Elizabeth Holmes’s ex-boyfriend hopes to escape the verdict she didn’t (NEW YORK TIMES)
Jury selection started in Sunny Balwani’s fraud trial, which will establish just how much he knew about the blood-testing start-up Theranos and Ms. Holmes’s actions.
A year after launch, Backbone Angels is closing gaps felt by underrepresented founders (BETAKIT)
One year after launching Backbone Angels, the group of current and former Shopify leaders are proving there is a market for investing in founders who are often overlooked. Over the past year, Backbone’s 10 angel investors have collectively invested $2.3 million USD across 42 companies, 56 percent of which are run by women of colour.
The gamification of fitness: Are we getting played by our exercise apps? (THE WALRUS)
The video game elements often blamed for sedentary lifestyles are now being used to get people moving