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PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — Foundation Radiology Group has raised a $4 million Series A1 round of funding, according to a regulatory filing.
Louisville, Ky.-based Chrysalis Ventures led the round, accompanied by Health Evolution Partners and Foundation’s management team.
The company plans to use the funding to further invest in its technology and “expand its geographic footprint,” said Koleman Karleski, a managing director with Chrysalis, via e-mail.
Foundation is an imaging services company that has on-site and teleservices for hospitals and other health centers. Its services include neuroradiology, mammography, cardiac CT, pediatric radiology and general radiology, among others. Karleski said the company’s teleradiology services allow specialists to be “highly productive” compared with industry standards.
In April, Foundation pulled in from the same investors a $10 million Series A round that it planned to use to hire new radiologists and expand its diagnostic imaging and radiology services office.
Foundation “grew rapidly” last year and expects to continue that growth in 2010, Karleski said.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Earlier this month, Foundation announced a partnership in which it will provide imaging services to Leighton, Pa.-based Blue Mountain Health System.
Asked about Chrysalis’ exit plans for Foundation, Karleski said it’s “premature to speculate” on the matter. “However, most fast-growing, profitable companies have many strategic options, including future financing via a public offering and sale to a host of strategic acquirers eager to own valuable assets,” he said. “Let’s revisit this question in the coming years.”
Pittsburgh’s health industry received a bit of encouraging news last week courtesy of a report from Cleveland health care economic development group BioEnterprise. The group’s report on 2009 health care investment in the Midwest revealed that the Iron City had more start-ups, 24, that received cash than any other in the region. Overall, Midwest health care start-ups attracted $780 million in funding last year, a decline of 26 percent from the prior year.
The medical device and health IT company Emageon is a previous investor in Foundation.
In addition to its Louisville headquarters, Chrysalis has offices in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Ann Arbor, Mich.
