Healthtech and edtech are two of the fastest growing sectors, with the healthtech market size to reach $3.1 billion by 2033, while the global education technology market size is projected to reach $348.41 billion by 2030.
Each week will do a roundup of the top news, fundings, and IPOs from these two sectors.
Top News
- Several major medical organizations sued Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Department of Health and Human Services over actions they call a “public health emergency that demands immediate legal action and correction.” The move follows several recent high-profile anti-vaccine actions by Kennedy, including firing all members of a key vaccine panel of experts and removing a recommendation that children and pregnant women get a Covid shot.
- Microsoft announced that over the next five years, it will donate on a global scale more than $4 billion in cash and AI and cloud technology to K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and nonprofits to help advance their missions. At the same time, Microsoft Elevate said it will help bring AI education and skills to 20 million people over the next two years, helping them earn an AI skilling credential ranging from foundational fluency to advanced technical training
AI News
- Varonis, provided of actionable data governance solutions for financial services, healthcare, energy, manufacturing and tech companies, partnered with Microsoft to help secure the next generation of workplace AI
- symplr, a provider of enterprise healthcare operations, acquired the AI-driven scheduling engine Smart Square from AMN Healthcare
- VisiQuate, a provider of AI-powered revenue cycle management, acquired Etyon, an AI-enabled solution for optimizing revenue cycle management in healthcare
Late Stage Fundings
Healthtech:
- Neuros Medical, the maker of the Altius Direct Electrical Nerve Stimulation System, a non-opioid treatment for chronic post-amputation pain, raised a $56 million Series D financing round led by new investor EQT Life Sciences, with participation from existing investors including US Venture Partners, Amzak Health, Osage University Partners, Sectoral Asset Management, Aperture Venture Partners and several long-standing and committed investors
Early Stage Fundings
Healthtech:
- NUCLIDIUM AG, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company developing a proprietary copper-based theranostic platform, raised a CHF 79 million (EUR 84 million) Series B financing round led by Kurma Growth Opportunities Fund, Angelini Ventures, Wellington Partners, and Neva SGR, with participation from DeepTech & Climate Fonds, Bayern Kapital, Vives Partners, Eurazeo, NRW.BANK and HighLight Capital, as well as existing investors
- Actithera, a radiopharmaceutical biotech company translating medicinal chemistry insights into next-generation radioligand therapies, raised a $75.5 million Series A financing round co-led by founding investor M Ventures and new lead investors Hadean Ventures, Sofinnova Partners, and 4BIO Capital, with additional participation from Bioqube Ventures, Innovestor’s Life Science Fund, Investinor, Surveyor Capital, and second founding investor, Arkin Bio Ventures II.
- Centivax, a biotechnology company engineering vaccines and therapies for durable, universal protection against highly diverse targets, raised a $45 million Series A round led by Steve Jurvetson of Future Ventures, with participation from NFX, BOLD Capital Partners, Base4 Capital, Kendall Capital Partners, Amplify Partners, and other investors. Existing insiders increased their ownership in the round.
- Aqtual, a precision medicine company using its novel active chromatin cell-free DNA platform to develop products for chronic diseases and oncology, raised $31 million in Series B funding. Three new investors, including Bold Capital and Bold Longevity Growth Fund, joined previous investors Genoa Ventures, Manta Ray Ventures, and Yu Galaxy. Additional capital was also provided by a strategic investor in the diagnostics space.
- Restore Medical, a clinical-stage MedTech company developing transcatheter therapies for heart failure, raised a $23 million Series B financing round co-led by Pitango HealthTech and a global strategic healthcare partner, alongside the European Innovation Council Fund, and continued support from existing investors including Peregrine Ventures
- Plasmacure B.V., a Dutch MedTech innovator behind PLASOMA, a cold plasma therapy for complex wound healing, raised a €6 million Series A round led by Venture Medical alongside Coöperatie VGZ, Noaber, Stichting Triade, and existing investors EIC Fund and OostNL
- PIUR IMAGING, a medical device company developing AI-powered tomographic 3D ultrasound, raised a €5.6M growth capital funding round led by Aescuvest Capital Partners
- Cumulus Neuroscience, developer of an integrated physiological and digital biomarker platform, raised a £3.25 million investment round led by Whiterock’s Growth Capital Fund alongside the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland’s Equity Fund, ACF Investors and Co Fund NI
Edtech:
- Harmonic, an artificial intelligence lab leading the development of Mathematical Superintelligence, raised a $100 million Series B funding round led by Kleiner Perkins with significant participation from Paradigm. Additional investors included Ribbit Capital and existing backers including Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, and Charlie Cheever
- Honor Education, a learning platform and solutions provider transforming how individuals and organizations build skills, mindsets, and cultures, raised $38 million in Series A funding from Alpha Edison, Wasserstein & Co, Audeo Ventures, Interlock Partners, New Wave Capital, and other investors
- Headway, a full-scale consumer tech platform revolutionizing lifelong learning, raised an undisclosed amount of Series A funding from Bullhound Capital
Seed Fundings
Healthtech:
- Skleo Health, a network of accessible, medically validated eye screenings, raised €3 million in a seed funding round led by Sanoptis, alongside Antler,, and a number of high-profile angel investors
- The Blue Box, an artificial intelligence-powered breast cancer screening technology company, raised €3 million in seed funding led by Unconventional Ventures and joined by Fund F, Grow Ventures, Hans(wo)man Group and Krups Family Office. The Spanish Association Against Cancer also participated
- LeoMed, a software company that provides tools for remote monitoring of patients at home, raised $2.75 million in seed funding ina round led by Precicom, with participation from undisclosed angel investors and earlier contributions from Investissement Québec
- Ukrainian mental health startup Clearly raised €760,000 in a funding round led by Purple Ventures. Pragmatech Ventures also participated in the round
- Bumo, an on-demand child care marketplace, raised $10 million in a seed funding round led by True Ventures and Offline Ventures with participation from Goodwater Capital, and Marketplace Capital. Angel investors Jennifer Carolan, Rachel Barnes, Jamie Chung, Ellen Chen, Karina Kruse, and Vanessa Dew also contributed
Edtech:
- Opennote, an interactive AI tutor, raised $850,000 in a round led by Afore Capital, with participation from Sancus Ventures, Script Capital, Untitled Ventures, and an undisclosed group of angel investors
Policy and government
- A federal judge ruled that the swift takedown of health information across several government webpages earlier this year was illegal and vacated agencies’ directives to do so. The takedowns were carried out in late January to comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump redirecting the federal government’s stance on gender and sex policy. They were restored in part when a plaintiff medical organization, Doctors for America, was granted a temporary restraining order after successfully arguing that the sudden removals impeded their ability to provide time-sensitive care and were likely unlawful.
- The Trump administration announced that the Department of Health and Human Services will ban illegal immigrants from accessing taxpayer-funded services, including the popular Head Start early childhood education program. The agency announced that it will rescind the 1998 interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), which extended certain federal public benefits to those living in the United States illegally
Random news
- An unusual attack by bees in the French town of Aurillac left 24 people injured, including three in critical condition. The Prefecture of Cantal, in south-central France, said passersby were stung over a period of about 30 minutes on Sunday morning. Firefighters and medical teams were rushed to the scene to treat the victims while police set up a security perimeter until the bees stopped their attack. The three people in critical condition were evacuated to a local hospital. Pierre Mathonier, the mayor of Aurillac, told French broadcaster France 3 the incident may have been related to Asian hornets threatening beehives that had been installed on the roof terrace of a downtown hotel over 10 years ago. He said that this had likely caused the bees to become aggressive
(Image source: atnf.org)
