FEBRUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER

Written By NYA

INVESTMENTS     |     PORTFOLIO NEWS     |     NYA NEWS     |     INDUSTRY NEWS     |    CALENDAR

January may have been cold, but the energy across the early-stage ecosystem was anything but. From disciplined investing to meaningful partnerships, the momentum New York Angels is seeing sets the stage for an even brighter February ahead.

RECENT INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

New York Angels Members invested $1.06 million in the first month of the year.

JANUARY INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHTS

New York Angels Members invested in a bridge round for Atraverse Medical. Atraverse's minimally invasive system for accessing the inner chambers of the heart has already been used in nearly 2,000 procedures. Since NYA's initial investment in 2023, the company has advanced significantly, including recent FDA clearance for its HOTWIRE Transseptal Access System. Mauri Rosenthal led the follow-on round

Dugu Systems is developing a 4 mW low-pressure oxy-fuel gas turbine to produce distributed electricity, heat and CO2.Dugu's innovation is based on a novel 3,600 RPM turbine developed Brayton Energy under a DOE grant. Oxy-fuel combustion produces CO2 exhaust eliminating the cost of separation. Tom Hirschfeld and Tom Blum led the deal on behalf of NYA Members.

FOUNDER SPOTLIGHT

By 2040, 50,000 miles of marine habitat will be destroyed. Anya Freeman, CEO and Co-Founder Kind Designs, is committed to change that trajectory by transforming infrastructure into artificial reefs that both restore marine ecosystems and protect vulnerable coastal communities. Read about Anya’s perspectives on the importance of strategic investors, how the best investors understand the problem firsthand, and why female unicorn founders should become normalized.

PORTFOLIO NEWS

CYNOMI

Cynomi announced the launch of the company’s Cyber Advisory Excellence Awards, a new program designed to recognize the leaders, teams, and emerging talent advancing cyber advisory within security program management.  The first recognition will feature the Founding Cohort of Transformational Cyber Leaders who have redefined how cybersecurity supports business strategy, executive alignment, and measurable resilience. 
Read Press Release

 

PORTFOLIO NEWS

ELYSIUM THERAPEUTICS

Elysium Therapeutics announced that it has completed its $7.5 million SAFE round. With this investment, Elysium plans to accelerate development of its SOOP (Synthetic Opioid Overdose Protection and Reversal) technology designed specifically as a rescue treatment for overdoses brought on by synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and the emerging threat of more potent nitazenes. 
Review Latest Investment Round

PORTFOLIO NEWS

IC360

Integrity Compliance 360 announced the company will be integrating its ProhiBet platform into the PGA TOUR to officially provide the golf league with its ProhiBet platform, which provides real-time tracking on illicit betting activity. IC360 will help monitor players, caddies, officials, and administrative staff.
Learn About PGA TOUR Partnership 

PORTFOLIO NEWS

STRONGDM

Delinea announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire StrongDM. Bringing together Delinea and StrongDM will provide a unified way to monitor, authorize, and govern privileged access for IT teams, developers, and AI agents across on-prem and cloud environments, all in a single platform.
See Details on Acquisition

NYA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Randy Klein joined New York Angels a little over two years ago.  While Randy is not the most vocal NYA Member, he is active, and when he does speak up, he is “all in”.  Randy adds significant value to NYA with his expertise from building Crestron Electronics from $1 million in revenue to $1.5 billion.  In this interview, Randy shares how he decided to spend his “retirement” with New York Angels instead of golfing, why decisions should be tied to revenue, and how companies need to demonstrate real growth not just increases.    

NYA MEMBER EVENT
UNDER THE HOOD OF NYA'S DEAL PROCESS

NYA Vice Chair Seth Masters and the Screening Committee hosted an exclusive session reviewing NYA's deal process. Members gained a deeper look at how companies move through the funnel from Screening to Forum, how to evaluate opportunities, and the critical role members play in driving investment decisions.

MEMBER EVENT

E8 ANGELS MEMBER MEETING

E8 Angels invited NYA Members to join their January Member Meeting. In the meeting, members discussed future collaboration opportunities and viewed presentations from five early-stage companies in the cleantech and climate innovation sector. NYA is thrilled to partner with another leading angel group to continue to build the angel ecosystem.

PRESTA
STARTUP CAPITAL FUNDING 2026

The world of startup capital funding has entered a new era in 2026. The “growth at all costs” mentality that defined the last decade has been replaced by a surgical focus on sustainability, capital efficiency, and strategic execution. For founders, raising money has become less about the “pitch” and more about the “proof.”  Read how the most successful founders are pivoting their strategies to meet these 2026 standards, how investors are using AI in due diligence, the average raise for a pre-seed round, and more.

UPCOMING MEMBER MEETINGS

Investment Forum (Hybrid):
  • February 23rd (9:00 AM - 12:30 PM)

Screening (Hybrid):
  • March 9th (9:00 AM - 12:30 PM)


 

FOUNDER DEADLINES

March Screening Application:
  •  February 15th




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*New York Angels, Inc. ("NYA") is a not-for-profit corporation that is funded by membership dues for individuals and/or entities that NYA has designated as members as well as from certain sponsors.  Its purposes include providing administrative support to its members.  NYA does not invest in companies.  Investments, if made, are made by individual members of NYA.
 
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RANDY KLEIN ‒ NYA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

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