Sheba Medical Center Joins New Venture Capital Fund for Mental Health and Longevity
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Sheba Medical Center is partnering with venture capitalists Esther Barak-Landes and Adi Astori-Metalon in a new $40 million fund called Alma Ventures, which will focus on mental health, cognitive health, and longevity. The fund aims to address significant global health challenges, amplified by recent events and increased life expectancies. Sheba's CEO, Avner Halperin, stated the medical center's commitment to addressing the gap in mental health services and leveraging its innovation ecosystem.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Sheba Medical Center is joining a new $40 million venture capital fund, Alma Ventures, focused on mental health and longevity.
- The fund is co-founded by venture capitalists Esther Barak-Landes and Adi Astori-Metalon.
- Alma Ventures will invest in startups addressing mental health, cognitive health, and longevity.
- Sheba Medical Center will participate through its ARC company.
- The initiative aims to address a significant global health need and a gap in mental health services.
- Sheba's CEO highlighted the medical center's existing innovation ecosystem and commitment to the field.
Venture capitalists Esther Barak-Landes and Adi Astori-Metalon have launched Alma Ventures, a new fund aiming for $40 million, focusing on mental health, cognitive health, and longevity. Sheba Medical Center will be a partner through its ARC company. Barak-Landes, a seasoned investor with previous roles including founding Israel Angels and managing investments for Partam High-Tech, also established the ag-tech and food-tech fund Flora Ventures in 2023. Astori-Metalon previously led business innovation and big data at Bank Leumi and co-founded the Resilience-Tech incubator in Sderot.
The fund's focus addresses a critical global health need, with the World Health Organization reporting over a quarter of the population lives with mental or neurological challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict in Israel have amplified the urgency and attention given to mental health. Advances in psychiatric and neurological treatments, coupled with technological support for talk therapy, are increasing interest in the sector. Simultaneously, rising life expectancies are driving investment in brain health and preventative medicine for healthy aging.
Avner Halperin, CEO of Sheba Impact, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting mental health as a significant area for Sheba due to the large gap between need and provision. He noted Sheba's existing involvement in mental health startups like Mentaily and its interest in cognitive health and neurodegenerative diseases. Halperin detailed Sheba's extensive innovation ecosystem, comprising 135 companies, with which it has established partnerships or founded them, generating exits and royalties that fund further innovation and hospital operations.
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