Issue # 139 : Somnee Raises $10M, Eli Health Secures $12M Series A, Parallel Bio Lands $21M for Human-First Drug Discovery

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The event launched with PM Keir Starmer and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. 

Every conversation whether on the main stage, off stage, or in the coffee corners was all about AI. The world is moving fast, and Nvidia’s founder said, everyone should engage with AI.

And this week proved it.

#LTW2025 put AI at the heart of the UK’s strategy with major investments, education reform, industry partnerships, and new regulations. 

🇮🇳 India made a strong impression with the largest delegation, spotlighting the growing UK–India tech collaboration.

🇬🇧We’re growing our presence with a new team based in London. For collaborations or to learn more, connect with us. 

My biggest takeaway : innovation dies without funding. The craziest ideas, Only the boldest founders and investors can make them real. If you’re not ready to break the mold, you’re already left behind.

• Somnee – the leader in sleep technology delivering pioneering AI-powered neurotech and software – today announced it has raised $10 million in a seed extension round.
• Eli Health, the company building the real-time interface to the human body via continuous hormone monitoring, has closed a $12 million USD Series A funding round led by BDC Capital’s Thrive Venture Fund.
• Parallel Bio, a Cambridge, MA-based biotech company providing human-first drug discovery, raised $21M in Series A funding.
• Enterome, a Paris, France-based clinical-stage company developing OncoMimics immunotherapies to treat cancer, raised $19M in funding.
• Perci Health, a London, UK-based virtual cancer clinic, raised £3M in funding.
• Mezzion Pharma, a Seoul, South Korea-based company developing clinical development programs, raised approximately $20M USD in strategic funding.
• The Menopause Society has announced the launch of its NextGen Now initiative, a comprehensive training program designed to address critical gaps in menopause care education. The organization received a $5 million (approximately €4.6 million) anonymous grant to fund the program, which aims to train 25,000 healthcare professionals over three years.

• Survivors of domestic violence face a higher risk of brain injury and long-term mental health conditions that can persist for decades after the abuse has ended, new research has found.
• Women aged 25 to 49 in England will be invited for cervical screening every five years instead of three, if they test negative for human papillomavirus (HPV), under new changes beginning 1 July.
• Women who experience trauma or hardship in childhood may have up to twice the risk of developing endometriosis later in life, new research has found. A study involving more than 1.3 million women found those exposed to violence in childhood were over twice as likely to be diagnosed with the condition compared to those who were not.
• A study conducted by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has made a striking observation about the attack on healthy cells by the COVID-19 virus.  As per the study, a protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus could be a reason for the immune system to attack healthy cells mistakenly. 
• Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with mortality rates ranging from 30-40 per cent. Reportedly, sepsis is a leading cause of death worldwide, affecting one in five deaths.  Offering some respite, a recent study has found that statins, drugs that are used to help ‘bad’ cholesterol, could lower the death rate by nearly 40 per cent for critically ill patients with sepsis. 
• Researchers from BYU now believe that not all sugars carry the same risk. In an analysis carried out in collaboration with researchers from Germany-based institutions, experts say sugar consumed through beverages—like soda and even fruit juice—was consistently linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). When compared with other sugar sources, they showed no such link and some even posed lower risk. 
• Memory loss, thinking ability and problem-solving issues derails our routine life and these are included in the general description of the condition dementia. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.  Dementia causes a decline in cognitive abilities, causing severe impairment in functioning independently. Changes in behaviour and relationships are also observed. While numerous researches are ongoing to understand dementia, a recent study says where one lives might influence the risk of getting dementia. 
• Appendix cancer, a rare type of cancer, has now been found to have a higher incidence among the younger generations, a study has revealed.  The study which was published in Annals of Internal Medicine journal, found that when compared to the older generations, the rates of appendix cancer have risen four times among millennials and more than three times among Gen X. 
• Ozempic users claim the weight loss drug has a new side effect, observed changes to their genitals. Male ozempic users shared their thoughts on Reddit on how the weight loss drug did not shrink but bulged another body part
• How to protect children’s eyes from UV exposure and other hazards. Prolonged UV exposure, increased allergen levels, digital eye strain, and injuries from outdoor play can pose risks to children’s developing vision
• Contrary to the popular notion of ‘digital dementia’, a US study published in Nature Human Behavior suggests that the use of smartphones and other digital devices may actually slow cognitive decline and lower the risk of dementia in older adults.
• India’s wearable device shipments may have declined year-over-year last year, but health wearables are still very much in demand as more people look to affordable, high-quality solutions, according to a new study.

• Aneira Health, a new women’s health startup co-founded by renowned geneticist Dr. Cecilia Lindgren and Chris Wigley, former CEO of Genomics England, has launched with a mission to address systemic gaps in women’s healthcare using precision medicine and AI-driven technology.
• Swedish women’s health platform EsterCare has acquired Ovulai, a digital health app focused on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) management. The acquisition integrates Ovulai’s PCOS-specific tools into EsterCare’s telemedicine and workplace health services. Financial terms were not disclosed.
• Hims & Hers Health has announced plans to acquire ZAVA, a leading European digital health platform, to accelerate its expansion into the UK, Germany, France, and Ireland markets.
• Deep Apple Therapeutics, Inc. announced a research collaboration and exclusive worldwide license agreement with Novo Nordisk to discover, develop, and commercialize oral small molecule therapeutics directed at a novel non-incretin GPCR target for cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity.
• Fujifilm India has launched its latest CSR campaign, ‘Find It Early, Fight It Early’, in the presence of Upasana Kamineni Konidela, vice chairperson of CSR, Apollo Hospitals. The initiative is focused on generating awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection, particularly in underserved regions where conversations around women’s health are attached to stigma.
• Bayer and the Broad Institute announced that they have extended their research collaboration of 10 years by an additional five years, to further advance findings in human genomics research in cardiovascular diseases.
• NVIDIA, a world leader in accelerated computing, announced a collaboration with Novo Nordisk to accelerate drug discovery efforts through innovative AI use cases. The work supports Novo Nordisk’s agreement with DCAI to use the Gefion sovereign AI supercomputer.
• Swedish biotech company Salipro Biotech AB entered into a research collaboration with South Korean based global pharmaceutical company, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Daewoong Pharmaceutical gains access to Salipro Biotech’s expertise and Salipro platform for stabilizing challenging membrane proteins
• Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL), a global leader in vaccine innovation and manufacturing, today announced that it has partnered with GSK plc for  the ongoing development and potential use of the Shigella vaccine candidate, altSonflex1-2-3. Shigellosis is a severe form of bacterial diarrhoea that disproportionately affects children under five in low- and middle-income countries.

• National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) has been examining clinically relevant research questions among these representative, community-dwelling schizophrenia patients: these include studies on course and outcome, disability, age at onset, metabolic syndrome, work functioning, family burden, substance use and tardive dyskinesia.
• The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has stipulated that the financial support through the sub-scheme Capacity Building and Skill Development for Medical Devices, under the scheme strengthening of medical device industry, can be withdrawn from the universities and institutions if the admissions are less than 30% of the approved annual intake in the first academic year.

• Renalyx Health Systems has launched the country’s first indigenously developed, AI-powered smart hemodialysis machine to make renal care more affordable and accessible for patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) across India.
• IIT Delhi and AIIMS Delhi have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (AI-CoE).
• The Indian School of Business (ISB) and AIG Hospitals have announced a new partnership deal. The collaboration seeks to bring doctors and data scientists together to co-develop AI tools designed specifically for Indian hospital settings.
• Engineers at IIIT-Delhi and Inria Saclay, France, created a system to guide doctors in selecting effective antibiotic combinations when bacteria no longer respond to standard treatments.

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• Can problems with your vision indicate a brain tumour?According to experts, the patterns of visual loss vary dramatically based on the tumour location and can range from partial vision reduction in one eye to complete blindness in both eyes
• Why are Indian women developing fibroids at a young age? Experts believe the stress of long working hours along with excessive screen time are some of the reasons for the development of the condition

🎉Have news to share? Publish a press release on FemTech India to reach industry-leading executives, investors, and passionate individuals.

See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

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