Carisma Therapeutics co-founded by Michael Klichinsky, MD, PhD, Vice President of Research and Discovery at Carisma and Saar Gill, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, is developing a differentiated and proprietary cell therapy platform focused on engineered macrophages – cells that play a crucial role in both the innate and adaptive immune response. The UPstart portfolio company had a successful year, highlighted by the second closing of its Series B financing and in March, the dosing of their first patient in a landmark clinical study evaluating engineered macrophages in humans.

Cogwear co-founded by Michael Platt, Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative and James S. Riepe University Professor at University of Pennsylvania and Arjun Ramakrishnan, Assistant Professor of biological sciences and bioengineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, is a wearable device company that is creating a clinical-grade, cognitive wearable for active situations and powered by nanotechnology sensors, machine learning, and breakthrough neuroscientific research. In August, the company was, awarded a Small Business Innovation Research Program grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the development of Cogwear’s electroencephalography (EEG) sensors.

Exyn Technologies, co-founded by Vijay Kumar, PhD, Dean of the Penn School of Engineering and Applied Science, is developing robot systems to autonomously navigate and collect data where maps and GPS do not exist. In the spring of 2021, Exyn proudly announced that their drones achieved Level 4A autonomy, which the company considers the highest level of aerial autonomy reached within the industry.  The company closed out the year with another exciting announcement that they received ISO 9001 certification.

Linnaeus Therapeutics, Inc. (Linnaeus), co-founded by Christopher Natale, PhD, Vice President of Research at Linnaeus and Todd Ridky, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Dermatology at Penn School of Medicine, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel small-molecule oncology therapeutics.  The company attended the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting last summer and shared positive clinical data from its phase 1 dose-escalation study of LNS8801 as a monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab.

Neuralert Technologies, an UPstart portfolio company co-founded by Steve Messe, MD, of the Perelman School of Medicine and James Weimer, PhD, of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, is a medical device company solving the problem of late stroke detection. Their non-invasive, wearable wristbands continually monitor the onset of arm weakness- a hallmark sign of stroke- to enable rapid detection of stroke by clinicians and caregivers. By detecting strokes 10X faster than manual detection processes, Neuralert is reducing the critical time-to-treatment which saves lives and lowers healthcare costs. In summer 2021, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the Neuralert Monitor designation as a Breakthrough Device!

Nia Therapeutics, co-founded by Michael Kahana, PhD, Professor of Psychology in the School of Arts & Sciences and Dan Rizzuto, PhD, continues to develop responsive neurostimulation therapies for patients with dementia and other memory disorders. In 2021, Nia received a $1M non-dilutive subcontract sponsored by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command and awarded through the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium.  The funding is being applied towards completion of the implantable form factor prototype and supporting expansion of the team.

Quantaras, co-founded by Jay Udupa, PhD, and Drew Torigian, MD, both faculty members in the Department of Radiology at Perelman School of Medicine, is an UPstart portfolio company formerly known as Quantitative Radiology Solutions.  The company personalizes cancer treatment decisions through body wide analysis of medical images.  In the spring of 2021, the company received FDA clearance for its auto-contouring software after a successful clinical evaluation across four major academic medical centers as part of a Phase II STTR grant award from the National Cancer Institute.

Vetigenics, co-founded by Nicola Mason BVetMed, PhD of the Penn School of Veterinary Medicine and Don Siegel, MD, PhD, of the Perelman School of Medicine, is an animal health biopharmaceutical company committed to improving the health of companion animals through the development of species-specific, safe and effective antibody-based immunotherapies to treat veterinary cancers and other chronic diseases. The company achieved numerous milestones in 2021 with leadership from CEO and co-founder Adriann Sax.