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From Fit4D to Zephyr Health, a roundup of 4 digital health fundraises

Fit4D raised $2.8 million, in a filing that appears to be part of its Series A, as it seeks to expand its personalized care plans and coaches beyond diabetes.

It has been a frenetic week of digital health fundraising news. From customized programs for diabetes patients delivered by a personal coach to estimating blood loss during surgery, here’s a roundup of how much companies raised and what kind of milestones they seek to reach.

Identifying hospitals most likely to adopt emerging technologies from life sciences companies using predictive analytics

Zephyr Health, which provides predictive analytics support to life science companies, raised $17.5 million in a Series C round led by Google Ventures. Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers and Icon Ventures also took part. Zephyr uses it analytics to troubleshoot obstacles in the way of drug development earlier. It developed a predictive analytics tool to anticipate which hospitals would be more likely to adopt emerging therapies from biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

In an emailed statement CEO William King said it would use the funding to invest in research and development and commercialization.  It has also strengthened its analytics tools, data systems and design.

In an interview with 33 Voices, CEO William King explained that one of the hospitals it anticipated would be interested in a new drug delivery therapy was not aware of the technology and welcomed it.

In March it unveiled a communication tool to make it easier to share information without it getting siloed in someone’s inbox or get disconnected between the sender and its destination some other way.

When is a blood transfusion during surgery necessary?

Digital medical device company Gauss Surgical, which developed an app to monitor blood loss during surgery, has raised $3.4 million in fresh capital following the FDA approval of its Triton Canister App in March. So in addition to estimating blood loss through surgical sponges, its system can estimate blood loss in canisters. Users take a picture of the canisters and algorithms estimate the hemoglobin content and the blood loss. By giving clinicians a more accurate understanding of overall surgical blood loss, it can help them decide when or if a blood transfusion is necessary.

Personalized coaching for diabetics eyes will expand into other chronic conditions

Fit4D (Fitness4Diabetics) CEO David Weingard declined to comment on the $2.8 million Form D filing made by the company, he talked briefly in a phone interview about how its business model for the personalized diabetes coaching program is evolving.

The funding for its Series A came from SJF Ventures, Sovereign Health System and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska. Weingard said its program is seeing growth among payers and also wants to respond to demand outside the U.S.

The company assigns each participant a diabetes coach that helps tailor programs based on their treatment plan and personal preferences. It involves motivating patients to take their medication, make nutrition, exercise, and weight management part of their lives and learning how to cope with the ongoing emotional stresses of the disease, a company statement said. It also helps participants use blood glucose meters and lab tests to assess their condition.

Another facet of the program is education whether through group discussion or self-directed written content. It has pharmaceutical company customers such as GlaxoSmithKline, as well as an increasing number of payers. It will use the funding to expand its program to other chronic conditions

Prepping for public launch of infant wearable

Owlet raised a new round of funding to support the public roll out of its sock, which monitors things like vital signs, pulse oximetry and to relays the data to a smartphone that helps parents keep track of things like their infant’s breathing and heart rate. Formation 8 led the $7 million round through a new $100 million hardware fund led by Lior Susan. Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes, also took part through his fund Carpe Diem VC. Other previous investors who took part in the investment round included Azimuth Ventures, ffvc, Eniac Ventures and Peak Capital.

Photo: Free Digital Photos

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