Transforming Healthcare Innovation

Strikethrough Ventures is dedicated to fostering medical device and technology innovation by providing early-stage funding to promising companies.

our investment process

 

  • < $2.5M of outside investment to date

    Company must be at least 1 year old and have demonstrated progress validated by at least $10,000 in funding support.

    Funding support may be from grants, business plan competition winnings, investment, or other direct financial sources. In-kind services from incubators or other organizations do not count as direct financial sources. 

  • Healthcare and MedTech

    The original idea should be generated through a needs-driven process such as Biodesign or similar.

  • Company must have a named full-time CEO and CTO, along with being a U.S. or Canadian incorporated company.

Catalyze healthcare innovation through philanthropic investment.

Our MISSion and vision

Create a lasting impact on the U.S. Healthcare System by accelerating innovation and improving patient outcomes.

Team

  • Scott Alpard, Ph.D.

    Managing Partner

    Experienced innovator, six-time founder, and healthcare executive leading the strategic vision.

  • Rush Bartlett, ph.d.

    Managing Partner

    Five-time founder, corporate executive, and inventor bringing extensive industry knowledge.

  • Philip Strauss

    Principal, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer

    Experienced general counsel with diverse experience at the intersection of law, business, and technology in the Bay Area.

  • Ashley Jennings

    Principal, Head of Investor Relations

    Managing Director in technology commercialization for UT Austin, expert in deep tech startups.

  • Ned Schwing

    Venture Partner

    Serial healthcare entrepreneur and executive with extensive experience founding and scaling multiple companies in clinical research and specialty care. Deep domain expertise in clinical operations, business development, and strategic growth.

  • Bill Bobbora

    Venture Partner

    Seasoned finance and strategy executive with extensive experience in banking, capital markets, and venture development. Expertise in structuring investments and mobilizing philanthropic capital to accelerate early-stage healthcare innovation.

Advisors

  • Frank Wang, Ph.D.

    Advisor (AI)

    Five-time founder (exit to Apple) and AI expert.

  • Nathan Tsoi, Ph.D.

    Advisor (Data)

    Former head of data for Sequoia Capital.

  • Cristina Checka, MD

    Advisor (clinical)

    Breast surgical oncologist with a focus on surgical innovation. Medical device company co-founder.

  • Joe Mandato, DBA

    Advisor

    Veteran medtech investor / executive with four decades of life sciences leadership. Former CEO of multiple device and software companies and senior executive at Guidant Corporation. Expertise scaling medtech ventures, board governance, and entrepreneurial strategy.

  • Nassir Mokarram, Ph.D.

    Advisor

    Current Chief Investment Officer, Emory University endowment. Leads venture investments at Emory Investment Management, advancing early-stage medical technologies toward commercialization (including FDA Breakthrough Device projects).

  • Topher Kinsella, MD

    Advisor

    Surgeon and serial entrepreneur with expertise at the intersection of clinical practice and innovation. Combines hands-on clinical experience, startup founding, and innovation consulting (Biodesign adaptation), with a track record in early-stage venture screening.

  • Shriram Raghunathan, Ph.D.

    Advisor

    Purdue- and Stanford-trained bioengineer. Founder & CEO of Noctrix Health, which emerged from Stanford Biodesign. Has led hardware design, RF testing, IP/landscape work, and early-stage consulting across continents.

Example Opportunities

  • Moonrise Medical

    Enables providers to understand when and how much to treat patients for vascular disease.

  • Watershed Therapeutics

    Local, long term drug delivery to treat urinary tract infection & bladder cancer.

  • Noctrix Health

    Worlds first non-drug therapy for the #2 sleep disorder: Restless Leg Syndrome.

  • Longnhorn lifesciences

    A novel wound monitoring system.

  • Omnisense surgical

    Smart retractor for real-time surgical guidance.

  • Exvade Bioscience

    Therapy and diagnostic for glioblastoma – first time demonstrated that you can force a tumor to migrate outside of the body.

  • JEEVA

    AI-powered mobile app that provides patients with personalized information and instructions about their care.

  • IHP Therapeutics

    Rapid acting therapy to prevent vaso-occlusive crisis in sickle cell disease. First self-administered rescue therapeutic, moving care to the home setting and avoiding costly and ill-equipped healthcare systems.