Another $6.5 Million Invested - New Deals and Big Milestones: NYA News - September 2026NYA Executive Director Peter Bodenheimer and Bounce Imaging CEO & Founder interviews, plus portfolio companies new grants, contracts and partnerships.
NYA Members continued their strong investment momentum for the year with $6.5 million in investments across 14 companies in July and August. Beyond the investments, NYA portfolio companies are earning major grants, securing new contracts, launching partnerships, and building the pipeline for the future.
New York Angels Members invested $6.5 million over the past two months, continuing a strong year of backing exceptional founders.
JULY & AUGUST INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHTS
BMI OrganBank is reimagining organ transplantation with technology designed to keep donor organs viable longer, expanding access to life-saving transplants. After speaking with former surgeons and conducting rigorous due diligence, NYA Members invested behind the company’s significant market opportunity. Hugh Cullman and Ray Farrell led this deal.
Buoy offers unflavored, sugar-free electrolyte and mineral drops that make it easy to turn virtually any drink into a hydration boost. Their flagship formula is clinically-proven to hydrate 64% more than water alone. NYA Members invested in this follow-on round with Craig Frischling as the deal lead.
CloudFrame helps enterprises modernize mission-critical mainframe applications by transforming legacy COBOL into maintainable, cloud-ready Java with greater speed, precision, and control. This is the third time NYA Members have invested in CloudFrame. Larry Ng, Elaine Gilde, and Bruce Gallager led this round for NYA.
Cooler Heads helps people undergoing chemotherapy preserve their hair, confidence, and sense of control throughout treatment. The company's portable scalp cooling system, Amma, has received FDA-clearance, paving the way for commercialization and broader patient access. NYA Members Scott Falconer and Kenny Nova led the deal.
Dugu Systems is reimagining power generation with high-efficiency, low-cost gas turbines designed to deliver clean, affordable energy with built-in carbon capture. This is NYA Members' second investment in Dugu Systems this year. Tom Blum and Tom Hirschfeld helped NYA Members close this round.
5th Medical is developing innovative cardiac medical device technologies that provide affordable, safe solutions designed to improve productivity and help healthcare providers deliver the highest quality patient care. While this marks NYA Members' first investment in 5th Medical, it builds on a proven track record with CEO & Co-Founder John Slump, who has successfully exited two other NYA portfolio companies. Robert Hedlund and Tom Hirschfeld led the deal.
FIXE provides specialized bookkeeping and accounting services designed specifically for restaurants, combining hospitality expertise, technology, automation, and dedicated support. Serving 600+ restaurant locations, FIXE manages everything from sales and payroll to accounts payable, giving restaurant operators accurate, timely financial information so they can focus on running and growing their businesses. Sukriti Chadha and Jon Tiktinsky led this follow-on round.
HistoWiz is accelerating scientific research through automated histology and digital pathology services that help life sciences companies and researchers move discoveries and new therapies forward faster. Its cloud-based PathologyMap platform allows researchers to instantly view, manage, analyze, and share digital pathology slides, combining laboratory services with data management, expert analysis, and AI-powered tools. Lee Einbinder and David Edwards led the deal.
Janus Labs is pioneering a new approach to pet health with a neural AI platform designed to detect signs of illness, pain, stress, and cognitive decline by interpreting animals’ brain signals without electrodes or other invasive technology. Janus Labs won the Best Product award at The Ventures Startup Award during a16z New York Tech Week 2026. Tom Hirschfeld and Seth Masters led the deal on behalf of New York Angels Members.
myBiometry empowers people with asthma and COPD with proactive, actionable data, using intelligent diagnostics and connected monitoring to detect exacerbations up to 20 days in advance and help prevent attacks at home. After investments in 2024 and 2025, NYA Members invested once again in myBiometry as the company continues to show significant progress. Tom Hirschfeld and Aaron Sylvan were the deal leads for NYA.
OrthoPreserve is developing a next-generation artificial meniscus implant designed to relieve knee pain, restore function for an active lifestyle, and preserve the joint from degeneration leading to arthritis. NYA Members invested behind the company's impressive founder and substantial target market opportunity. Kenny Nova led this deal.
Osteoboost is the first FDA-cleared, clinically proven, non-drug wearable device designed to slow bone loss in people with osteopenia. In clinical trials, Osteoboost reduced loss of vertebral bone strength and density by over 83%. Tom Hirschfeld led NYA Members' second investment in the company.
StimCardio is developing a non-invasive, wearable neuromodulation platform that combines continuous physiological sensing with personalized therapy for cardiac rhythm care, beginning with atrial fibrillation. As StimCardio has shown positive results from a series of pilot studies, NYA Members invested in this follow-on round with Rob Hedlund and Tom Hirschfeld as deal leads.
Vivifi Medical’s ReFlow technology offers a minimally invasive approach to treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), designed to preserve sexual and urinary function while providing lasting symptom relief. NYA Members backed Vivifi for its experienced team, differentiated technology, and compelling market opportunity. Lee Einbinder led the deal.
FOUNDER SPOTLIGHT
Francisco Aguilar, CEO & Founder of Bounce Imaging, is leading the development of advanced tactical imaging technology designed to help military, law enforcement, and first responders gain critical visibility in dangerous environments before putting people at risk. Since joining Bounce Imaging in its early years, Francisco has helped grow the company and secure major customers, including U.S. Special Operations Command. In this interview, Francisco discusses why a clear, customer-validated value proposition is critical when fundraising, how New York Angels’ rigorous diligence challenged the company to strengthen its assumptions, and why investors should look for founders who genuinely believe in their story.
PORTFOLIO NEWS
AIM ROBOTICS
AiM Medical Robotics has been awarded a $2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to advance its MRI-compatible robotic platform for more precise, minimally invasive treatment of brain cancer. The funding will support further development and a first-in-human feasibility study, helping move the technology closer to clinical use. Read More
PORTFOLIO NEWS
AUTOMOTUS
Automotus is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation to test its AI-powered curb management technology on the Upper West Side. Using computer vision and real-time analytics, Automotus will help NYC DOT better understand curb activity, improve mobility, and explore new ways to reduce congestion and emissions. Read More
PORTFOLIO NEWS
PHASE 3D
Phase3D was awarded a new U.S. Air Force contract to expand its real-time inspection technology into advanced materials used in next-generation propulsion, hypersonic systems, and thermal protection. The project will adapt Phase3D’s Fringe Inspection platform to identify manufacturing defects earlier, helping improve quality and accelerate the adoption of advanced aerospace manufacturing. Read More
PORTFOLIO NEWS
SEEKEASY
Seekeasy has partnered with OpenTable to bring creator-driven content directly into the restaurant discovery experience. The partnership will showcase Seekeasy creator content on participating OpenTable restaurant pages while connecting restaurants with creators to help drive discovery and engagement. Read More
PORTFOLIO NEWS
SKYFIRE AI
SkyfireAI is partnering with GeoComm to bring advanced location intelligence to its Drone as First Responder operations. The integration will help public safety agencies direct autonomous drones to emergencies with greater location accuracy and situational awareness, enabling faster, more informed responses. Read More
PORTFOLIO NEWS
SOCURE
Socure secured a $156 million strategic growth investment at a $5.2 billion valuation, led by Summit Partners, as the identity verification and fraud prevention company continues its rapid expansion. Socure also acquired agentic AI startup Fravity, building on strong momentum after reaching $364 million in ARR in Q2, up 63% year over year. Read More
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
THE DILIGENT OBSERVER
New York Angels Executive Director Peter Bodenheimer joined The Diligent Observer Podcast to discuss what makes food tech so challenging to fund and what investors should look for when evaluating early-stage opportunities. Peter also shares an inside look at how NYA evaluates more than 160 companies each month, why speed matters for founders, and the hidden deal terms that can turn a promising investment into an immediate no.
MEMBER EVENTS
SUMMER LUNCH IN THE HAMPTONS
New York Angels Members took a break from the city this summer for a member lunch in the Hamptons for an afternoon of conversation and connection. While NYA’s formal Screening and Investment Forum meetings pause in August, Members stay active throughout the summer, evaluating deals, supporting portfolio companies, and strengthening the relationships that make the NYA community unique.
FORBES
HOW AI IS CHANGING THE PRE-SEED FUNDING PLAYBOOK FOR FOUNDERS
The pre-seed funding playbook is changing as AI makes it faster and less expensive for founders to build, test, and validate new ideas. Investors increasingly expect startups to demonstrate prototypes, early users, and even initial revenue before raising institutional capital, raising the bar for what it takes to secure early-stage funding.
UPCOMING MEMBER MEETINGS
Investment Forum (Hybrid):
• October 19th (9:00 AM - 12:30 PM)
Screening (Hybrid):
• October 5th (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
FOUNDER DEADLINES
November Screening Application:
• October 11th
*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.
