Jay Watkins

Heartport, Inc. develops systems and procedures for heart surgery. The company's technologies allow surgeons to perform a wide range of less invasive open-chest and minimally invasive heart operations, including stopped heart and beating heart procedures. Heartport was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Redwood City, CA.

SpineVision SA develops and markets implants for the treatment of spinal disorders. It also designs instrumentation for the spinal treatments. Its products include Flex 2, Lumis, Plus/X-Plus, ULIS, Unithread, Spacevisions, and C3. The firm also offers solutions for spinal pathologies, such as lumbar degenerative disc diseases, deformities, cervical disorders, trauma, and tumors. The company was founded by Gérard Vanacker on July 16, 1999 and is headquartered in Antony, France.

Direct Flow Medical, Inc. develops transcatheter heart valve technologies. It explores application of its technology beyond the aortic valve, to the mitral valve, and other valve anatomy. The firm’s Transcatheter Aortic Valve System is indicated for the treatment of patients with severe aortic stenosis, who are at risk for surgical aortic valve replacement. The company's system incorporates a polymer frame, which is expanded using pressurized saline and contrast for placement, assessment and repositioning. Direct Flow Medical was founded by Gordon B. Bishop and Randall T. Lashinski in June 2004 and is headquartered in Santa Rosa, CA.

Entourage Medical Technologies, Inc. develops medical devices. The private company is based in Menlo Park, CA.

Sofinnova Partners SA (Sofinnova) is an independent venture capital firm established in 1972 and headquartered in Paris, France. Originally known as Sofinnova, the first venture capital firm created in France, the firm created a U.S. subsidiary in San Francisco in 1976. In 1997, both firms were bought out by their management teams, which become the majority shareholders of the new companies, Sofinnova Partners in Paris and Sofinnova Ventures in San Francisco.

Evalve, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and markets devices. It developed a proprietary system which enables percutaneous repair of cardiac valves. The firm's products reduces the risks, trauma, and costs associated with current open, arrested heart surgical options. The company was founded on June 9, 1999 and is headquartered in Menlo Park, CA.

Biolipox AB develops and manufactures pharmaceuticals products. The company engages in the research and development of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of respiratory and other inflammatory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rhinitis, pain, and arthritis. It was founded in June 2000 and is headquartered in Solna, Sweden.

Gecko, Inc. provides investment services. The CEO of the American company is Jeff Worley.

Part of Japan Lifeline Co., Ltd., Cardiac Rhythm Management is a company that manufactures implantable devices to treat arrhythmias. The company is based in Sylmar, CA.

France Invest is a French association of investors for growth that supports private equity as a lever for business creators and managers to achieve growth. The private company is based in Paris, France and was founded by Maurice Tchenio. The association is at the heart of the economy and aims to share the value created by supporting companies in their innovation and energy transition efforts.

Keystone Heart Ltd. engages in the development and manufacture of cerebral embolic protection devices that aim to reduce the risk of stroke, neurocognitive decline, and dementia caused by brain damage associated with cardiovascular procedures. The company was founded by Dov V. Shimon in 2004 and is headquartered in Caesarea, Israel.

MD Start SA develops medical device technology. It has collaboration between venture capital, institutional investors and industry to the development of innovative medtech ideas in Europe. The company was founded by Tim Lenihanin 2010 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

ReCor Medical, Inc. develops novel therapeutic ultrasound catheter technologies The firm develops a therapeutic non-focused ultrasound system for performing renal denervation in patients with resistant hypertension. The company was founded by Mano Iyer and Jacques Seguin in July 2009 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA.

Mainstay Medical Ltd. operates as a medical device company which develops neuro-stimulation therapies for people with debilitating chronic low back pain. It develops ReActiv8, an active implantable medical device designed to treat people with chronic low back pain. The company was founded by Danny Sachs in 2008 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

MedDay Pharmaceuticals SAS operates as a biotechnology company developing new drugs for nervous system disorders. The firm operates for the treatment of neuro-metabolic diseases. The company was founded by Frédéric Sedel and Guillaume Brion in 2011 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

HighLife SAS develops percutaneous mitral valve replacement therapies. It offers a minimally invasive prosthetic mitral valve that is implanted on a beating heart, while preserving the native valve structure and respecting the surrounding anatomy. The company was founded by Georg Börtle in 2010 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

Tissium SA engages in the development and commercialization of biodegradable sealants and adhesives for invasive surgery. It offers biomimetic wound closure solutions. The company was founded by Bernard J. Gilly, Robert S. Langer, Christophe Bancel, Jeff Karp, Jacques Marescaux, Maria Pereira, and Patrick Houvet in 2013 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

Pi-Cardia Ltd. develops catheter for the treatment of aortic stenosis. Its technology is based on delivering mechanical impact for creating fractures in valve calcifications, without injuring the surrounding soft tissue. The company was founded by Eyal Kolka and Erez Golan in 2009 and is headquartered in Rehovot, Israel.

Inspirna, Inc. operates as a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company which develops molecule and antibody cancer therapeutics. It provides drugs for melanoma, colorectal and triple-negative breast cancers. The firm identifies novel cancer targets using a microRNA based target discovery platform that enable the identification and validation of novel post-transcriptionally regulated targets. The company was founded by Masoud Tavazoie, Sohail Tavazoie, Shahram Seyedin-Noor and Saeed Tavazoie in 2010 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

FeetMe SAS develops insoles that map foot pressure in real time for diabetic patients. Its insoles are made of pressure sensors that allow patients and doctors to visualize a detailed pressure map of the feet, as well as provide warning to patients if a change in the plantar pressure is detected. The company was founded by Julien Mercier and Alexis Mathieu in 2013 and is headquartered in Versailles, France.

AB Medica (France) is a French manufacturer of surgical instruments for celioscopy, mini-invasive surgery, and cardiac biopsy pliers. The private company is based in France, specifically in Mery sur Cher. The French company is innovating for mini-invasive surgery through the development of micro-coelioscopy ranges.

Part of Johnson & Johnson, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is a Swiss company that develops and distributes molecular weight drugs. The company is based in Allschwil, Switzerland.

May Health SAS engages in the development of device for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome infertility. The company was founded in September 2017 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

510 Kardiac Devices, Inc. engages in the provision of cardiovascular devices. The company was founded by Jaime Sarabia in 2015 and is headquartered in Mableton, GA.

Gradient Denervation Technologies SAS engages in research and development in other physical and natural sciences. The company is headquartered in Paris, France.

Noema Pharma AG is a biotechnology company, which engages in the development of orphan neurological disorder therapies. It focuses on understanding and meeting patient needs using novel therapies. The company was founded by Luigi Costa and George Garibaldi and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.

Mnemo Therapeutics SAS is a French biotechnology company that develops cell therapies to create accessible cures for cancer patients. The company is based in Paris, FR, and has subsidiaries in the United States. The company applies a novel approach to cell therapy using its enfinit platform, a groundbreaking drug discovery engine. Mnemo is committed to addressing the challenges in the field of immuno-oncology, such as a lack of cancer-specific targets, long-term persistence, and sensitivity. The company aims to engineer the future of immunotherapies to transform the lives of people with cancer by discovering novel cancer-specific targets and boosting immune activity to treat solid tumors. The company was founded in 2019 by Alain Maïore and Michel Sadelain. Robert LaCaze has been the CEO of the company since 2022.

Home Biosciences SAS is a biotech venture builder that partners with academics and scientists to develop life-changing therapies for patients. The company is based in France and has subsidiaries in the country. The French company's operating model allows its teams to focus on scientific and operational excellence to expedite and de-risk the discovery and development paths of its projects, which are housed in dedicated ventures and fully financed by Home Biosciences. Home Biosciences was founded in 2019 by Magali Richard and David S. Schilansky, who has been the CEO since its inception.

Moon Surgical SAS is a French medical technology company that is creating a new category of robotic surgery. The company is based in Paris, France and is operated by renowned serial medical innovators and backed by leading venture capitalists. Its Maestro system enhances existing laparoscopic techniques and tools with new capabilities, benefiting the 93%% of patients who currently do not have access to minimally invasive robotic surgery. The CEO of the company is Anne Osdoit.

Part of MetLife, Inc., SafeHealth Life Insurance Co. is a company based in Laguna Hills, CA.

Auris Medical AG manufactures electronic devices for ear disorders. It develops novel pharmaceutical therapies to protect hearing and to silence tinnitus. The company was founded by Thomas Meyer in April 2003 and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.