NYA News - Nov 2024: $757k in Investments Last MonthOur latest investments in AiM, FIXE, NYSHEX, NYA Member Launches $1m Scholarship, Interviews with NYA's Mauri Rosenthal and Gameway's Jordan Walbridge
In October, $757k has been invested across three companies including one new addition to our portfolio.
OCTOBER INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHTS
AiM Medical Robotics is a neurosurgical robotics company that is on a mission to improve outcomes for patients undergoing neurosurgery for functional brain disorders (Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, etc) and cancer. Additionally, AiM is working to provide cost savings to hospitals by eliminating errors and reducing procedure time by up to 50 percent. Tom Hirschfeld and Vijay Aggarwal managed closing the investment for New York Angels.
FIXE is a SAAS company providing bookkeeping solutions to the restaurant industry. NYA members first invested in FIXE in 2023, when NYA led their pre-seed round and has now participated in its latest round following strong growth. Founder and CEO Ryan Handel said, “We are delighted to have New York Angels as a partner and are excited by the demand that we see from restaurants for FIXE.” Jon Tiktinsky and Simon Hopkins led this follow-on investment.
NYA Members invested in NYSHEX's Series C round as they revolutionize the container shipping industry for both carriers and shippers. NYSHEX has attracted an A-List of investors including Goldman Sachs, GE Ventures, Blumberg Capital and Hapag Lloyd (a top 10 carrier). This is the fifth time NYA Members have invested in NYSHEX since 2016. CEO Gordon Downes spent 15 years in the shipping industry prior to founding the company. This deal was led by Michael Ehrlich and Donna Redel.
NYA COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
Jordan Walbridge, Gameway Co-Founder, started the company in 2017 and shortly after opening their first location in 2018. Gameway is the world’s first premium airport video game lounge and has locations in major airports including LAX, JFK, Dallas Fort Worth, and more. Jordan shares his story on being a team with his wife Emma, maintaining a cash flow positive business since Day 1, and why he is more selective about bringing on investors than he is employees.
COMPANY NEWS
CYNOMI
Cynomi is one of the finalists in the 'Security Company of the Year' division of the SDC Awards 2024. Cynomi was recognized for their innovative vCISO (Virtual Chief Information Security Officer) platform that offers services at scale without their existing resources. Read Announcement
COMPANY NEWS
IC360
Integrity Compliance 360 has been recognized with the Responsible Gaming Award of the Year by the 2024 American Gambling Awards. IC360 is the global leader in delivering integrity and compliance regulatory technology solutions for sports betting and gaming. Read Article
COMPANY NEWS
MEDCURA
Medcura received the 2024/2025 Best Technology in Spine Award for LifeGel Absorbable Hemostatic Gel. Medcura received this award for its inventors, engineers and others who help advance spine surgery. Read Press Release
COMPANY NEWS
MATERIAL KITCHEN
Material Kitchen won endorsement from Food & Wine Magazine as their kitchen knives were tested and deemed the “Best Modern” set, beating out 22 competitor knife sets. Read Article in Food & Wine
NYA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Mauri Rosenthal joined New York Angels in 2019 and brings an incredible level of passion and experience to the organization. Prior to NYA, Mauri spent 15 years in business planning and development in specialty medical devices and 15 years in pharmaceuticals at Pfizer. As an angel investor, he leverages these experiences to bring a focus on innovation and the customer. Mauri shares his advice on why it’s important to celebrate closings, how founders appreciate NYA’s efficient process, and why founders need a strong part-time CFO.
MEMBER EVENTS NYA FALL BOWLING
While NYA Members regularly meet for monthly forums and screenings, they also meet socially at least once a quarter. This month, over a dozen NYA Members bowled together at Bowlero in Times Square for the perfect mix of business and socialization.
MEMBER EVENTS PLUG & PLAY
NYA hosted a special preview of Plug and Play's Fall '24 cohort. Over 100 angels from 11 angel groups attended the event, which featured 10 carefully selected companies. The event was a huge success averaging 16 angels interested in each company. If you're a member of an angel group interested in the next demo day preview, please reach out to jon@newyorkangels.com.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS HOSTOS LAUNCHES $1 MILLION STEM SCHOLARSHIP
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Hostos Community College announced the creation of the Aspira-Wright Endowed STEM Scholarship, the largest in its history, to support underserved students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. NYA Member Benny Lorenzo, managing partner of Aspira Capital Management, and his longtime friend, business partner, and hedge fund founder, Peter A. Wright, collaborated to make the $1 million endowment possible.
NATIONAL ANGEL CAPITAL ORGANIZATION
NACO ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL ANGELS & DREAMS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
In Canada, the National Angel Capital Organization has launched a new, groundbreaking national program, the Angels & Dreams Fellowship to provide entrepreneurs with unparalleled access to NACO’s extensive network of investors and senior business leaders. Through the program, Fellows will gain invaluable access to seasoned leaders and strategic advice, helping them open doors to investors, customers, and critical growth opportunities. Since its founding in 2002, NACO members have invested $1.54 billion in more than 2,000 companies.
Investment Forum (Hybrid):
• November 18th (9:00 AM - 12:30 PM)
December Screening (Hybrid):
• December 2nd (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
FOUNDER DEADLINES
December Screening Application:
• Due November 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.
