GLOBAL DEAL SYNDICATION
HBS Alumni Angels syndicates selected deals across the full global membership of its 14 chapters. This enables selected deals from one chapter to reach a global network of accredited investor alumni. This is a unique benefit of being a member in a local HBS Alumni Angel chapter. Investment decisions are made and executed individually following a global webinar. Once investments are made, investors often assist companies in other areas as formal or informal advisers. For details on how the process works, please scroll down.
UPCOMING SYNDICATION CALLS
GLOBAL SYNDICATED INVESTMENT PRESENTATION:
SOTERI SKIN
Thursday, January 16, 2025 9am PT, 12pm ET, 5pm London, 6pm Continental Europe
Presenters:
Co-Founder & CMO, Lama Mansour, HBS MBA '06
Scientific Co-Founder & CEO, Dr. Rafal Pielak, HMS '11
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For HBS Angels Members ONLY
On behalf of the Northern California chapter, we would like to share the following investment opportunity:
Developed at Harvard Biomedical Sciences & Harvard Innovation Lab, we are pleased to present Soteri Skin, the only non-steroidal, non-prescription, pH correcting and balancing eczema topical treatment that breaks the cycle of eczema and provides long-term relief from the debilitating effects of constant flare-ups, dryness, itchiness, irritation, and sleepless nights.
Company Overview: Soteri Skin Inc. is a medical skincare start-up that has participated in both the Y Combinator accelerator program (W22) and Harvard Innovation Labs.
At Soteri Skin, we are pioneering a new approach to treating Atopic Dermatitis (eczema) with our patented technology, the Soteri Skin pH/LOCK™ complex. This groundbreaking pathway works by repairing the skin barrier through an outside-in approach, restoring and maintaining optimal skin pH levels for up to 12 hours.
We are addressing a significant consumer pain point by breaking the cycle of eczema and providing long-term relief without steroids or continued biologic use.
Efficacy: Our clinical trials have yielded strong results, with 60% of patients achieving complete symptom relief within a 4-week period.
We are already approved by the FDA as an OTC medication.
Sales Highlights To Date: In February 2024, we launched our Direct-to-Consumer website and have already generated $120K in revenue, with minimal marketing efforts. To date, we've attracted 500 unique customers and are seeing an impressive 60% repeat purchase rate. We are also finalizing a licensing agreement for our pH/LOCK® technology with Essity, a global health and hygiene company.
Financial and Business Projections: With a $1.5MM seed round, we project:
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$1.0M in revenue in Year 1
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$15.7MM in Year 2 & break even
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$216.7 M in revenue by 2030.
Founding Team:
Our founding team brings complementary skills:
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CEO: Dr. Rafal Pielak, PhD, BioMedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School
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Chief Marketing Officer: Lama Mansour, MBA, Harvard Business School
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Raise : $1.5MM Seed Round on $9MM Post Money SAFE. We have raised $1.0MM to date.
Lama Mansour
CO-FOUNDER & CMO, HBS MBA 2006
Lama Mansour, Co-Founder and CMO of Soteri Skin with an MBA from Harvard Business School and over 20 years of expertise in brand management and marketing. Her diverse background spans the nutrition, skincare, and personal care sectors. Throughout her career, Lama has held leadership roles at global companies including General Mills International, Reckitt Benckiser, and Arbonne International. At Arbonne, she played a key role in launching the Nutrition category, and at Reckitt Benckiser, she successfully introduced the KY brand to the Canadian market. Lama is now passionately committed to establishing Soteri Skin as a leader in eczema relief and helping the millions affected by this condition.
Dr. Rafal Pielak
SCIENTIFIC CO-FOUNDER & CEO
Dr. Rafal Pielak, Scientific Co-Founder and CEO of Soteri Skin, earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Harvard Medical School and has over a decade of experience in product innovation and development in biotech and skin health. He was a founding member of the L'Oréal Tech Incubator in San Francisco, where he led a product innovation team, developing new products for La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, and SkinCeuticals. When his wife and daughter developed eczema, he made it his mission to find an effective solution to help them. This led him to extensive research and collaboration with leading dermatologists, resulting in the creation of Soteri Skin pH/LOCK technology, the only long term pH correcting skincare that provides long-term relief from eczema.
PREVIOUS SYNDICATION CALL
GLOBAL SYNDICATED INVESTMENT PRESENTATION:
VON VASCULAR
Vonvascular.io is a disruptive MedTech company with a focused mission: to transform lives through disruptive technology that makes thrombectomy better.
Thursday, November 21, 2024 9am PT, 12pm ET, 5pm London, 6pm Continental Europe
Presenter: Manning Hanser, CEO of Von Vascular
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For HBS Angels Members ONLY
On behalf of the Charlotte chapter, we would like to share the following investment opportunity:
We are pleased to present Von Vascular, Inc., an innovative medical device company focused on transforming the treatment of strokes and vascularthrombectomy. Their flagship product, the ALGO Aspiration Pump, is designed to enhance patient outcomes by improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of clot removal. ALGO offers unique capabilities, including compatibility with various catheters, re-processability, real-time feedback, and recyclable components.
The Opportunity
Problem
Existing aspiration pumps for stroke thrombectomy rely on constant suction, lack feedback mechanisms, and often involve disposable parts, leading to inefficiencies, higher costs, and limited effectiveness.
Solution
The ALGO Aspiration Pump by Von Vascular delivers an advanced, cyclic type suction with real-time procedural feedback, making clot removal faster and more effective while reducing disposable waste. ALGO’s compatibility with any catheter and its re-processable design bring a cost-effective, environmentally friendly solution to the market.
Market
The target markets include ischemic stroke, peripheral artery disease, and deep vein thrombosis, with a Total Addressable Market (TAM) estimated at $39 billion globally. This market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% through 2030.
Revenue Model
Von Vascular plans to commercialize ALGO through direct sales and strategic distribution partnerships, with an initial focus on neurosurgeons and interventional radiologists.
Traction and Competitive Advantage
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Market Validation: Over 35 neuro and vascular surgeons have endorsed ALGO and invested in Von Vascular.
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Competitive Edge: Unlike traditional pumps, ALGO’s unique “cyclic type” aspiration and real-time feedback enhance efficacy and allow for a one-time use model without disposable parts, reducing costs.
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IP Portfolio: Multiple non-Provisionals filed waiting office actions, including 70 new claims and fast-track filings in Q1 2024.
Financials and Funding History
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Capital Raised to Date: $3.5 million.
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Burn Rate: $46K per month.
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Projected Cash Flow Positive: By 2026.
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3-Year Revenue Forecast:
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Year 1 (2025): $0
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Year 2 (2026): $142,883
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Year 3 (2027): $4,127,288
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Details of Current Raise
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Stage: Seed Round
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Structure: Convertible Note
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Cap: $10M Post Money
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Discount: 15%
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Interest: 6%
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Total Round: $3 million
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Amount Raised: $1.4 million
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Additional Commitment: $750K verbally committed from VC
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Round Closing: December 15, 2024
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Funds Due: December 8, 2024
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Minimum Investment: $25,000
Team
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CEO: Manning Hanser
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Chief Medical Officer: Dr. Robert Starke
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CFO: Rich Mazzola
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Head of R&D: Rob Slazas
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Lead Engineer: Victor Gamez
Use of Funds
The funds raised will support product development, regulatory filings, initial commercialization efforts, and single-center studies for FDA 510(k) clearance.
Von Vascular
CO-FOUNDER & CEO
Manning Hanser, CEO, Eighteen years of leadership & Commercial development in the medical device industry. A dynamic, results-driven professional who leads with integrity and a rigid work ethic. Extensive expertise in sales, business development initiatives, marketing, technology evaluations, fundraising, and strategic operations. Proven capacity to strategically design and execute sales and marketing strategies that produce value, portfolio expansion, brand equity, market share, ROI, and operational efficiencies. Self-directed and driven by integrity. Proven success in business development, program management, and product expansion through strong industry relationships, global physician relationships, strategic partnerships, internal collaboration, operational expertise, and a consultative approach that consistently addresses strategic objectives, meets milestones and stays within budget. Successful track record in a highly competitive, high-pressure sales and product development environment.
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HOW IT WORKS
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1. HOST CHAPTER
A company must meet a threshold of member investment in one of our HBS Alumni Angel Chapters listed here. The leadership of the host chapter nominates the company for global syndication and provides a local member contact to act as syndication lead and a company contact.
CRITERIA
Ideally, for global syndication a company should meet the following requirements:
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Local host chapter members committed to invest at least $50,000* and local chapter forwards deal to global for syndication;
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Company assures at least $50,000-100,000 investible capacity;
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Company provides at least 2 weeks for due diligence following the webinar, prior to requiring an investment decision;
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Minimum individual investment amount is set at $25,000 or less;
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Company agrees to a one-time admin fee of $1500.
The Global Syndication Committee selects the most suitable company candidates from the 15 participating HBSAA chapters and is aiming to host monthly webinars.
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*NY and other larger chapters may have a $100,000 min.