Biotech & Health
Read the latest news about biotech and health, from the latest health tech and medical devices to research in synthetic biology and genetics. Our biotech coverage has startups and research from around the world in context with industry and investment trends.
AI-powered drug development, VW teams up with Rivian and DEI is ‘bad’
Welcome back to another recap of Equity, TechCrunch’s flagship podcast about the business of startups. This episode is jam-packed with deals, hot topics and the…
Amazon is folding its Amazon Clinic telehealth service into its primary care business One Medical, the company announced on Thursday. The company explained in today’s blog post that, to simplify…
SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son announced on Thursday that the Japanese tech giant has set up a joint venture in the country with Chicago-based health tech company Tempus. Together, the…
Can chatbots replace human therapists? Some startups — and patients — claim that they can. But it’s not exactly settled science. One study found that 80% of people who’ve used…
Formation builds tech-forward solutions for clinical trials and drug development.
Older adults increasingly want to age in their homes rather than nursing facilities. A study by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) found that nearly 90% of people over…
10 of the most exciting digital health startups of 2024, according to VCs
In the post-COVID world, VCs say it’s not as easy to get excited about investing in digital health. Deal activity in healthcare IT was relatively flat in Q1 2024 at…
EvolutionaryScale, backed by Amazon and Nvidia, raises $142M for protein-generating AI
A startup called EvolutionaryScale, founded by ex-Meta researchers, has raised $142 million for its AI-powered protein-generating tech.
Foray Bioscience is breaking down the barriers of bringing biomanufacturing to plants
Ashley Beckwith spent years of her academic and professional career focused on the intersection of biology, materials and manufacturing to build medical solutions more efficiently. When she realized the tech…
The firm said that it will source talent who can solve health problems like depression, cancer, eczema and neurodegenerative diseases.
SkyCell nabs $59M more for its greener smart pharma transport containers
The Swiss startup has closed out its Series D at $116 million, which it will use to double down on working with companies operating in Asia and the U.S.
Khosla-backed Marble, built by former Headway founders, offers affordable group therapy for teens
Rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts are surging among U.S. teens. A recent report from the Center of Disease Control found that nearly one in three girls have seriously…
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How Abridge became one of the most talked about healthcare AI startups
Ask any of the health-focused VCs to name one of the top AI startups and one name comes up over and over again: a company based in Pittsburgh called Abridge. And it’s a startup that launched before OpenAI was a household name and large language models (LLMs) entered the common…
Care/of, a company offering personalized subscription vitamin packs, says it will be canceling all subscriptions as of Monday, June 17 and will no longer be accepting new orders. The news…
Tempus rises 9% on the first day of trading, demonstrating investor appetite for a health tech with a promise of AI
Tempus, a genomic testing and data analysis company started by Eric Lefkofsky, who previously founded Groupon, debuted on Nasdaq on Friday, rising about 15% on the opening. The company priced…
Enveda raises $55M to combine ancient remedies with AI for drug discovery
For centuries, people chewed willow tree bark to relieve pain, but scientists at chemical firm Bayer didn’t isolate its active ingredient until the 1800s and eventually patented its modified version…
Foresite Capital raises $900M sixth fund for investing in life sciences companies
Venture fundraising has been a slog over the last few years, even for firms with a strong track record. That’s Foresite Capital’s experience. Despite having 47 IPOs, 28 M&As and…
Anterior grabs $20M from NEA to expedite health insurance approvals with AI
Anterior, a company that uses AI to expedite health insurance approval for medical procedures, has raised a $20 million Series A round at a $95 million post-money valuation led by…
Prolific Machines, with a $55M Series B, shines ‘light’ on a better way to grow lab proteins for food and medicine
Prolific Machines believes it has a way of transitioning away from molecules to something better: light.
Eyebot raised $6M for AI-powered kiosks that provide 90-second vision exams without an on-site optometrist
Over half of Americans wear corrective glasses or contact lenses. While there isn’t a shortage of low-cost and luxury frames available online or in stores, consumers can only buy them…
Eko Health scores $41M to detect heart and lung disease earlier and more accurately
In 1816, French physician René Laennec invented an instrument that allowed doctors to listen to the heart and lungs. That device — a stethoscope — eventually evolved from a simple…
AI-powered virtual physical therapy platform Sword Health has seen its valuation soar 50% to $3 billion.
What is AI? We’ve put together this non-technical guide to give anyone a fighting chance to understand how and why today’s AI works.
Jasper Health, a cancer care platform startup, laid off a substantial part of its workforce, TechCrunch has learned.
Billionaire Groupon founder Eric Lefkofsky is back with another IPO: AI health tech Tempus
Eric Lefkofsky knows the public listing rodeo well and is about to enter it for a fourth time. The serial entrepreneur, whose net worth is estimated at nearly $4 billion,…
Valar Labs debuts AI-powered cancer care prediction tool and secures $22M
Biotech startup Valar Labs has built a tool that accurately predicts certain treatment outcomes, potentially saving precious time for patients.
Fertility remains a pressing concern around the world — birthrates are down in many countries, and infertility rates (that is, the inability to conceive) are up. Rhea, a Singapore- and…
Mental health insurance platform ifeel raises a $20 million Series B
Ifeel is being offered as part of an employer’s or insurance provider’s healthcare coverage.
US pharma giant Cencora says Americans’ health information stolen in data breach
About half a million patients have been notified so far, but the number of affected individuals is likely far higher.
Expressable is a platform that offers one-on-one virtual sessions with speech language pathologists.