Sona Shah and Teresa Cauvel, who both went to Columbia University and got degrees in biomedical engineering, started Neopenda to give the most vulnerable people in the world access to high-quality healthcare by making medical devices for developing countries.
This company works to improve the health of newborns in places with few medical resources by making monitors for vital signs that can be used more than once.
Neopenda creates new medical solutions based on the needs of patients in developing countries that are growing quickly.
The company makes wearable devices that track and send important vital sign information, such as heart rate, breathing rate, blood oxygen saturation, and temperature. This lets doctors and nurses keep an eye on the health of newborn patients and give them the right care.
Neopenda strongly believes that the most vulnerable patient groups around the world should have access to the same level of care as everyone else.
Therefore, their goal is to improve the health of newborns around the world by creating and deploying new technological solutions in developing economies.
How it Works
Neopenda’s first product is a scalable wireless monitor for monitoring patients’ vital signs in hospitals with too many people and not enough staff.
Their product lets doctors and nurses respond more quickly to newborns who are in danger, which makes it more likely that more babies will live.
They are currently working with researchers in Uganda to test their technology in clinical trials.
They want to be leaders in the healthcare industry in developing countries, meeting the needs of communities that aren’t getting enough help.
Naopenda is not only a business, but also their main goal is to help the public good. They put back most of the money they make to make sure they can keep doing their work and reach their goal as a non-profit organization.
neoGuard
This is a clinical vital sign monitor made to help give high-quality care to patients in places with few resources, like hospitals or clinics with a lot of patients but not enough doctors.
It keeps an eye on four of the most important vital signs and reports them in real-time. This helps medical staff help patients of all ages get the care they need to not just live, but thrive.
Founders
Sona Shah
Sona Shah was the founder of Neopenda and is now the company’s CEO.
She knows a lot about the medical device and international health industries, but she also has some experience in the pharmaceutical business.
Sona also has a Ph.D. from Columbia University and works on point-of-care diagnostics in the lab of Molecular and Microscale Bioengineering.
She was in charge of engineering and technical support for the buffer and media makeup section at the BR & D pilot plant.
Additionally, she went to the Georgia Institute of Technology to study chemical engineering and then went to Columbia University in New York to get a master’s degree in biomedical engineering.
Teresa Cauvel
Teresa Cauvel is a computer scientist. She is the Chief Technology Officer and one of the founders of Neopenda.
She went to Columbia University for her Master’s in Biomedical Engineering and Santa Clara University for her Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering.
She is very committed to coming up with new ways to meet unmet needs in healthcare and make a difference in the world.
The mix of projects achieved comes from her insatiable curiosity and interest in a wide range of topics, from stem cell reprogramming research to making medical devices for global health.
While at Columbia’s Nanotherapeutics and Stem Cell Engineering Lab, she worked on research about reprogramming cells, which gave her experience in the fields of cell-based medicines, regenerative medicine, and biopharmaceutical development.
Along with her background in biotechnology research, she is very interested in using technology to improve the health of underserved groups all over the world.
Investors & Funding Rounds
Axel Johnson Inc and also includes SUNU Capital
Neopenda has successfully raised US$1.04 million in a seed investment round. This will allow the company to start making and selling its products, hire more people, and start clinical pilots in new areas.
On top of that, a seed round just ended. Axel Johnson Inc., SUNU Capital, an East-African venture capital group, and several angel investors all took part.
Neopenda also finished an equity crowdfunding campaign that raised $288,104. More than 700 investors put in more money than they were allowed to.
Main Competitors
Strados Labs: It has come up with a new way to keep an eye on the respiratory system by using AI and advanced biosensors.
Injectsense: Miniaturized, self-contained in-vivo sensing and data upload to a cloud database to track the effectiveness of treatments (glaucoma).
P3 Health Partners: It is a healthcare organization that puts patients first, uses a physician-led model of management, and puts the health of the whole community first.
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