Breaking demarcation lines: How the Convergence of AI within Robotics, Healthcare, and NanoTech can improve MOIC and Humanity.

Since inception, the overarching mission within 10 || 2 Capital Partners has remained steadfast in seeking to “drive alpha-focused ventures” for transformative companies and innovative funds towards reaching the private market return preferences of SMART Capital investors along with the betterment of humanity.  Nowhere is that becoming more apparent than the convergence of AI with other key sectors of our global economy; namely Healthcare (MedTech, Pharma, and BioTech), Robotics, and NanoTech.

Earlier in my career another sizable convergence and “breaking down of silos” was also gaining traction in socially-responsible investment. What started out as a cottage industry among notable benefactors, forward-thinking investment committees, leading entrepreneurs, and asset managers, has grown into a multi-trillion dollar industry that essentially grew on the heels of profound social issues like the civil rights struggle and environmental damage to name a few.

As formidable as SRI (and ESG) have become, the increasing tailwinds behind the convergence of AI and the other notable sectors listed above will simply be astronomical. With that in mind, I’ll highlight some of the innovative and paradigm shifting companies already gaining traction (or use “already emerging”) from this growing confluence as we’ve only completed the introductory section of a multi-chapter book.

AI and Robotics– the integration of AI and robotics augment and amplify human potentials, increase productivity, and are moving from simple reasoning towards human-like cognitive abilities.

  • Root AI– A privately held intelligent farming robot company, Root AI’s Virgo robots have replicated most of the dexterity and strategy that humans apply when touching, interacting with, and caring for various plants and crops.  Additionally, farmers can utilize the company’s artificial intelligence based platform that yields more discernment for the harvester and agronomist, so all the individual systems out in the field can be optimized. The result can actually start driving better outcomes that bring more wealth to farmers, more food in the supply chain and more food delivered on a lower input, so it’s better for the environment.
  • iFarm– A Finnish startup with an automated vertical agricultural systemcalled GrowtuneTM that uses AI and drones to grow fruits and vegetables in enclosed spaces. By growing food closer to consumers and in spaces where conditions can be carefully controlled, iFarm promises to produce food that is fresher while reducing environmental impact.  Moreover, the big data collected from farms all over the world helps iFarm’s artificial intelligence to constantly improve its algorithms. It factors in data from IoT-devices, computer vision, production and sales reports.
  • RE2 Robotics–Already known for its compact, dexterous, and strong robotic arms, RE2’s technology is using machine learning and computer vision to perceive the world in a variety of complex environments.   The Company’s newest robotic systems use third-party multi-modal 2D and 3D imaging sensors with RE2 proprietary algorithms that can perceive the world in both indoor and outdoor environments.  Unlike the majority of perception systems controlling robotic arms, they must operate in constrained indoor environments with controlled illumination.  Whereas, RE2’s perception systems, can detect and track objects in just about any indoor or outdoor environment. The company’s technology empowers humans to do their job faster, safer, and better using human-like robotic arms.
  • Auris Health, Inc. is formerly known as Auris Surgical Robotics, Inc. Based in Silicon Valley, the company is pioneering the next era of medical intervention by developing platforms that enhance physician capabilities, evolve minimally invasive techniques, and create new categories of care that redefine optimal patient outcomes. The company is committed to transforming medical intervention by integrating robotics, micro-instrumentation, endoscope design, sensing, and data science into one platform. Every element of the Auris technology is driven by patient-specific design aimed at maintaining the integrity of the human body. 

AI and Healthcare– Increasing application of AI in health monitoring, drug creation, digital consultation, diagnosing various forms of diseases, and other healthcare system analysis is augmenting the demand for AI in healthcare market.

  • Deep Longevity is developing explainable artificial intelligence systems to track the rate of aging at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, system, physiological, and psychological levels.  It is also developing systems for the emerging field of longevity medicine enabling physicians to make better decisions on the interventions that may slow down, or reverse the aging processes. Deep Longevity developed Longevity as a Service (LaaS)©solution to integrate multiple deep biomarkers of aging dubbed “deep aging clocks” to provide a universal multifactorial measure of human biological age.
  • Perimeter Medical Imaging AI is developing advanced imaging tools that allow surgeons, radiologists, and pathologists to visualize microscopic tissue structures during a clinical procedure. Perimeter’s OTIS™ platform is a point-of-care imaging system that provides clinicians with real-time, ultra-high-resolution, sub-surface image volumes of the margin (1-2 mm below the surface) of an excised tissue specimen. The ability to visualize microscopic tissue structures during a clinical procedure in addition to standard of care tissue assessment for decision making during the procedure has the potential to result in better long-term outcomes for patients and lower costs to the healthcare system. Perimeter’s OTIS™ platform is cleared by FDA as an imaging tool in the evaluation of excised human tissue microstructure by providing two-dimensional, cross-sectional, real-time depth visualization, with image review manipulation software for identifying and annotating regions of interest. In addition, Perimeter is developing advanced artificial intelligence/machine learning image assessment tools intended to increase the efficiency of review.
  • XtalPi is a pharmaceutical technology company that is reinventing the industry’s approach to drug research and development with its Intelligent Digital Drug Discovery and Development (ID4) platform. Through its tightly interwoven quantum mechanicsartificial intelligence, and high-performance cloud computing algorithms, the ID4 platform enables pharmaceutical companies to increase their efficiency, accuracy, and success rate at critical stages of drug R&D.  Founded by a group of quantum physicists at MIT, XtalPi has since built an elite team with multi-disciplinary expertise in physics, chemistry, pharmaceutical R&D, and algorithm design.  By accelerating the pace of drug discovery and development, XtalPi aims to contribute to a healthier society worldwide
  • See-Mode Technologies is a medtech start-up based in Singapore and Australia that seeks to improve stroke prediction with AI-based software. To help clinicians better predict the risk of stroke and vascular diseases, See-Mode’s debut product, Augmented Vascular Analysis (AVA), is AI software for automated analysis and reporting of vascular ultrasound scans. AVA is approved by the Singapore Health Science Authority (HSA) as a Class B medical device and is commercially available in Singapore, with ongoing pilots in leading hospitals both in Singapore and Australia. AVA uses deep learning, text recognition, andsignal processing technologiesto assist clinicians in interpreting and reporting vascular ultrasound studies – typically a manual and error-prone process. By significantly reducing the time taken to generate a report from approximately 20 minutes to less than a minute with just a single click, See-Mode’s AVA augments theclinical workflow, resulting in greater overall productivity, accuracy andimproved patient outcomes.          
  • Caption Health has developed AI software empowering healthcare providers with new capabilities to acquire and interpret ultrasound exams. Though access to ultrasound has increased as systems have gotten smaller and more portable, a fundamental challenge remains: performing an ultrasound exam is extremely difficult and requires years of specialized training only a subset of clinicians have. Caption AI, the first and only FDA AI-guided medical imaging acquisition system, allows healthcare providers without lengthy specialized training to perform ultrasound and obtain diagnostic-quality images, which can help support clinical decision-making and deliver valuable cost and time savings for medical institutions.                                                      

AI and NanoTech – From potentially ground-breaking cures for degenerative disease to inexpensive and effective solutions to developing world health issues, nanotechnology has a huge role to play in the future of healthcare. 

  • Yesse Technologies(formerly known as MouSensor) is an early-stage biotech company building a technology platform that harnesses the biology of the nose and merges it with cutting-edge nanotechnology. The Company’s mission is to decode the last mystery of the senses, Olfaction, and to unlock the power of a new field, Odoromics™, disrupting Flavor & Fragrance R&D pipelines and enabling odor-based disease diagnostics. Yesse Technologies’ core technology, the ORion21™ genetic platform, is the product of over 30 years of fundamental research on the molecular biology of the sense of smell and is exclusively licensed from The City University of New York. To fuel its chip R&D, Yesse Technologies has established a research partnership with imec (Belgium), aworld-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies.  “The Yesse Technologies chip could ultimately allow Parkinson’s patients to be diagnosed in the very early stages of the disease before the external symptoms are even noticeable. This will enable early, more efficient treatments, which will significantly improve the quality of life of Parkinson’s patients and may even open the door for a cure down the road,” says Prof. Paul Feinstein, Co-Founder and CSO of Yesse Technologies, Inc.
  • Atom Bioworksdeploys structural DNA nanotechnology– a method of folding strands of synthetic DNA into customized shapes and objects – to snag viruses like COVID-19 as they float in the patient’s blood or body fluids. The DNA antibody binds to the virus and the florescence that occurs, easily visible in a blood or nasal swab test, is one way of detecting the disease. Atombio uses artificial intelligenceto identify the virus’s specific surface patterns, and then to design the DNA structure that will fold over that surface and bind with it. The company takes advantage of its own PBINDS (Polyvalent Binding Nanostructure Defied by Software) platform to automate the process.

Sourceswww.wraltechwire.comwww.yesse.techwww.imec-int.comwww.captionhealth.comwww.med-technews.com/news/ai-stroke-predictor-start-up-raises-7m-in-funding-round,  www.resquared.comwww.xtalpi.com/en/aboutwww.perimetermed.comhttp://longevity.aiwww.aurishealth.comhttps://ifarm.fihttps://root-ai.com/#impact

Disclaimer:  10 ||2 Capital Partners, LLC has not independently verified the information contained herein, nor makes any representation or warranty, either express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information contained in this article, or any other information (whether communicated in written or oral form) transmitted to or made available to the reader. Any estimates or projections as to events that may occur in the future (including projections of revenue, expense, net income and stock performance) are based on information provided by each Company and other publicly available information as of the date of this article.  10 ||2 Capital Partners, LLC expressly disclaim any and all liability relating to or resulting from the use of this article. This article has been prepared solely for informational purposes and is not to be construed as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any securities or related financial instruments. The reader should not construe the contents of this article as legal, tax, accounting or investment advice or a recommendation. The reader is urged to conduct an independent evaluation of each Company and should consult its own counsel, tax and financial advisors as to legal and related matters concerning any transaction described herein.

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