VIPC’s Virginia Venture Partners Invests in MedPhlow for Groundbreaking Essential Medicine Delivery Platform

Dec 5, 2023 | Press Release

Initial product to help save lives by improving essential multi-medication administration during sudden cardiac arrest. 

The Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) today announced that Virginia Venture Partners (VVP), its equity investment program, has invested in MedPhlow, LLC. Richmond, Va.-based MedPhlow, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Phlow Corp., is developing novel solutions to assist healthcare providers in essential medication delivery, including life-saving medication administration during critical events. Their initial product is a multi-medication, automated drug delivery system for patients suffering from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1000 Americans die each day from SCA. SCA can occur without symptoms or other warning signs and cause death within minutes. As a result, timely life-saving measures are critical to improve the chances of survival. However, during emergencies and other high-stress situations, fragmented communications, chaotic care environments, and the pressure to act quickly can lead to critical medication delivery errors or delays in implementing treatment. In an effort to improve a critical component of protocol-based intervention code care, MedPhlow has invented a drug delivery system for real-time treatment of SCA, including in pediatric patients. 

“Emergency situations require fast, decisive action. This is even more essential when dealing with sudden cardiac arrest, as seconds count when administering life-saving support,” said Dr. Eric Edwards, CEO of MedPhlow. “Partnering with the Virginia Venture Partners on this fundraising round is bringing us one step closer to making this first-of-its-kind product available on all ambulances, in emergency rooms, and in other healthcare settings more quickly. We are ready to improve the survival statistics for thousands of Virginians and people worldwide.” 

MedPhlow’s patent system provides rapid, precise, and protocol-driven epinephrine and amiodarone delivery during the initial, critical period of sudden cardiac arrest. The device is portable, automated, and easy-to-use. The novel system will improve clinical outcomes, reduce costs associated with disease management, and complement current treatment protocols and interventions. 

“The current standard of care for sudden cardiac arrest requires significant manual intervention, including dose calculations that can lead to errors. To this point, there has not been innovation in automating critical drug delivery for the treatment of SCA. MedPhlow seeks to solve for these challenges,” said Alex Euler, Senior Investment Director at VIPC’s Virginia Venture Partners. “The medical innovation that MedPhlow has developed will not only significantly improve the standard of care for patients experiencing SCA and help save lives, but will also have implications for essential medicine delivery across a range of other therapeutic indications. It is truly an honor for VVP to join MedPhlow in bringing this concept to reality.” 

VIPC’s investment in MedPhlow draws upon funds made available through the U.S. Treasury Department State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Program. This investment comes alongside additional angel investors to support the launch of MedPhlow. 

About MedPhlow 

MedPhlow (Richmond, VA), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Phlow Corp, is dedicated to developing and commercializing novel essential medicine delivery solutions that will help save and sustain human life. Led by an experienced team of pharmaceutical and healthcare executives, MedPhlow’s focus is initially developing and bringing to market a cutting-edge drug/device combination product for the emergency administration of critical essential medicines during sudden cardiac arrest. MedPhlow has been funded to date by Phlow Corp, the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, and an experienced group of investors seeking to transform essential medicine delivery. For more information, please visit www.MedPhlow.com

About Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) 

VIPC: Connecting innovators with opportunities. As the nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA), VIPC is the commercialization and seed stage economic development driver in the Commonwealth that leads funding, infrastructure, and policy initiatives to support Virginia’s innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, and market development strategies. VIPC collaborates with local, regional, state, and federal partners to support the expansion and diversification of Virginia’s economy. 

Programs include: Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) | VVP Fund of Funds (SSBCI) | Virginia Founders Fund (VFF) | Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) | Petersburg Founders Fund (PFF) | Smart Communities | The Virginia Smart Community Testbed | The Virginia Unmanned Systems Center | Virginia Advanced Air Mobility Alliance (VAAMA) | The Public Safety Innovation Center | Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) | Federal Funding Assistance Program (FFAP) for SBIR & STTR | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. For more information, please visit www.VirginiaIPC.org. Follow VIPC on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn

About Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) 

Virginia Venture Partners is the equity investment program of VIPC that makes seed-stage equity investments in Virginia-based technology, clean energy, and life science companies with a high potential for achieving rapid growth and generating a significant economic return for entrepreneurs, co-investors, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since its inception in 2005, Virginia Venture Partners has deployed $51.7 million in capital across more than 305 portfolio companies, including 17 companies in designated Opportunity Zones. Virginia Venture Partners’ investment decisions are guided by the Virginia Venture Partners Investment Advisory Board (IAB). This independent, third-party panel has drawn from the expertise of leading regional entrepreneurs, angel, and strategic investors, and venture capital firms such as New Enterprise Associates, Grotech Ventures, Harbert Venture Partners HIG Ventures, Edison Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Intersouth Partners, SJF Ventures, Carilion Health Systems, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, and Alpha Natural Resources. For more information, please visit the VVP pages from www.VirginiaIPC.org