San Francisco-based Avive announced Monday that is has raised $22 million in a Series A funding round to develop its intelligent AED (automated external defibrillator) technology and connected platform in hopes of decreasing deaths due to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Catalyst Health Ventures and Questa Capital co-led the round along with repeat investor Laerdal Million Lives Fund.
Avive’s AED device couples with a data-driven software platform for emergency response. The goal is to get someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest AED help while waiting for emergency medical services (EMS) to arrive.
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During cardiac arrest, every minute counts because for every minute a person does not receive AED shock or CPR, the chance of survival decreases by 7-10%, according to the company. Avive hopes its Doordash-style AED delivery will arrive faster than the current EMS response time of 8-12 minutes, according to the news release, and knock minutes off the clock a person waits before receiving help.
Here’s how it can work:
- Someone falls unconscious, so a person calls 911
- The 911 dispatcher locates an Avive AED nearby the person using the interactive map — think of the Uber car driver near me feature — given the AED devices are placed strategically throughout a city, including in homes and in people’s purses, cars, bags and so on
- The 911 dispatcher uses voice commands through the Avive AED device to contact a bystander near the closest AED
- The 911 dispatcher coaches that person to bring the AED device to the person in need. The 911 dispatcher then coaches the bystander to use the Avive AED on the person until EMS arrives.
Avive claims all this occurs within four minutes and is calling their pilot program the 4Minute City. See a demo here.
Avive Connect AED empowers rapid bystander intervention.
“Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S, taking the lives of more than 350,000 people every year. Rapid intervention with CPR and a shock from an AED are proven ways to save more lives. Yet, quick access to AEDs and the knowledge to use them still remain a challenge,” said Darshana Zaveri of Catalyst Health Ventures in a statement.
Avive sees itself as an improvement on the current AEDs throughout a city since it offers an interactive version that not only locates the nearest AED, but coaches a bystander to deliver it to the person in need and deploy the potentially life-saving device. In particular, Avive believes it is making efforts to reach lower socioeconomic communities and those with historically poorer outcomes due to race, age, or other factors.
“We envision a world where surviving a cardiac arrest emergency isn’t a one in 10 odds,” said Sameer Jafri, co-founder and CEO of Avive, in a statement. “Technology can improve the odds, especially if it is deployed in a thoughtful and data-driven manner. We want to bring affordable, intelligent AEDs to the places they’re needed most and empower those communities with the tools to perform life-saving measures even before first responders arrive. With this investment, our goal is not only within reach, it’s taking shape to create a new paradigm where death doesn’t have to be the expectation.”
The company is already piloting its intelligent AED devices in select cities, including City of Jackson, Tennessee, and Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
The device is awaiting U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
Photo: Avive
