Salt Lake Life Science Angels

*** SLLSA IS NOT MAKING NEW INVESTMENTS ***

From 2006 to 2014, Salt Lake Life Science Angels (SLLSA) invested in seed-stage life science (including medical device & product, service, HCIT, pharma, and biotech) companies located in Utah. SLLSA typically invested between $50,000 and $500,000. Members of SLLSA included approximately twenty accredited executives, entrepreneurs, scientists, and clinicians that invested several million dollars in 18 companies.

SLLSA was founded by Andrew Laver (APL Capital Advisors, Fred Marshall Painting), Larry Rigby (Larada Sciences, ZARS, Alton Dean Medical), and Ted Stanley (University of Utah Dept. of Anesthesiology, Anesta, Upstart Ventures) to facilitate investment in seed-stage life science companies in Utah.

Investment Partners

SLLSA has co-invested with several venture funds and angel groups

Park City Angels Tech Coast Angels Kickstart Seed Fund Pasadena Angels
SLC Angels Upstart Ventures Utah Angels Utah Venture Fund

Investments

EXITS

catheter-connections-logo The Catheter Connections product lines were acquired by Merit Medical in 2017.

Catheter Connections‘ flagship product, DualCap™, safely disinfects all infusion access points – a major breakthrough for infection control. DualCap provides healthcare facilities with an easy to use, cost-effective technology that can help in the fight against catheter related blood stream infections.
tute Tute Genomics was aquired by PierianDx in 2016.

Tute Genomics transforms and accelerates genome data analysis from a simple output list of variants to a full interpretation of sequencing data, and does so in a fraction of the time of other tools.
domain Domain Surgical merged with OmniGuide Holdings in 2016.

Domain Surgical is developing a product line of capital equipment and single-patient-use disposables designed to address the known shortcomings of leading energy-based equipment used in specialty surgical procedures. The patent-pending technology produces surface-only tissue effects with energy that does not pass through the patient.
jade Jade Therapeutics was acquired by Eyegate Pharmaceuticals in 2016.

Jade Therapeutics develops locally administered, polymer-based products designed to treat poorly served ophthalmic indications. The Company’s proprietary, cross-linked, bio-erodible hydrogel technology has demonstrated a variety of unique and beneficial characteristics.
visualshare VisualShare was acquired by XIFIN in 2015.

VisualShare is a leading provider of on demand image collaboration software for clinical and life sciences imaging industry. VisualShare’ VisualStrata™ technology platform focuses on images as the basis for collaboration to accelerate medical diagnosis and scientific discovery. VisualShare image informatics solutions target imaging professionals that rely on images for documentation of a technical process: clinical diagnosis, scientific investigation or quality assurance.
Olive Medical Olive Medical was acquired by DuPuy Synthes in 2015.

Olive Medical has developed a low-cost 1080p High Definition endoscopic camera solution. This camera system has equivalent video to leading HD cameras. However, it has a lower cost per case and significantly reduces the capital cost. It offers a “3-chip image with a 1-chip price.”

ACTIVE

ezlift EZ Lift Rescue Systems designs, manufactures, sells, and services patient immobilization and lift systems that incorporate a unique patented lift and transport system designed to minimize the torque to the back.
photopharm PhotoPharmics has developed a non-invasive medical device for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
J3 J3 Bioscience (formerly ViroPan) is a women’s reproductive health company. The company’s product, AquaRing, delivers natural moisture to treat vaginal dryness in menopausal women.
veritract_logo Veritract is developing technology allowing for rapid and safe feeding tube placement and confirmation without ionizing radiation. The technology has the potential to eliminate tens of thousands of misplacements that currently result in serious injury or death.
thermimage Thermimage was founded to commercialize a non-invasive, painless, and less costly way to produce deep-tissue temperature measurements. The device will first be used to diagnose Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR) in children, a dangerous condition that allows urine to backflow into the kidneys of young children. The current procedure is painful and requires the use of catheters and ionizing radiation.
resilient Resilient Network Systems takes a fundamentally new approach to enforcing security and privacy. Instead of relying upon the administrative practices and security infrastructure of one application or organization to enforce security and privacy, the trust network draws upon the knowledge and infrastructure of a web of services controlled by different organizations and individuals, syndicating it into a collective intelligence that is far less prone to breach.
wasatch-micro Carterra (formerly Wasatch MicroFluidics) offers high throughput label-free analysis platforms for biomolecular interaction analysis. Founded in 2005 and based in Salt Lake City, UT, Carterra is developing the next generation of label-free biosensors for drug discovery and life science research.
qtherapeutics Q Therapeutics is an emerging biopharmaceutical company that utilizes cell-based technologies to develop new treatments for debilitating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Initial development efforts have focused on natural cell-based products that replace insulating myelin on damaged neurons, with the goal of restoring normal neuron function. The first product is designed to address a wide range of diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), transverse myelitis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and certain types of stroke.
laradasciences Larada Sciences is a medical technology company dedicated to the safe elimination of human head lice infestations. The company’ first product, The LouseBuster&trade, is the world’ first and only medical device that kills head lice and eggs in a single treatment using only controlled warm air.
sentrx SentrX Animal Care products create a synthetic matrix that naturally enhances an animal’s own healing properties. Manufactured specifically for the unique needs of horses and small animals. Each product line is easy to apply, scientifically based, and proven to speed healing.

CLOSED

fixes4kids_logo Fixes-4-Kids closed in 2014.

Fixes-4-Kids was an orthopedic device company focused on the development, development and commercialization of medical devices for the pediatric orthopedic market.
medipro MediproPharma closed in 2012.

MediProPharma was a virtual pharmaceutical company with 3 drug programs, including a lead compound with established safety and efficacy in humans. MediProPharma implemented the strategy of non-classical repositioning via identification of drug candidates with established clinical safety and efficacy, but with unknown target(s)/mechanism(s) of action.