A preview of the emerging health care companies profiled in the current issue of Start-Up. This month's profile groups are "NOTES Companies Sing an Upbeat Tune," and "Solid Support for Flu Vaccine Development." Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: Carigent Therapeutics, Cizzle Biotechnology, Genesis Medical Interventional, and ValveXchange.

Carigent Therapeutics' novel nanoparticle targeted drug delivery technology allows for controlled release of therapeutic agents, targeting drugs to a particular physiological site, tethering of surface ligands, and the ability to combine multiple agents--like imaging agents and drugs--into one vehicle. The foundation of the platform is an FDA-approved biocompatible and biodegradable polymer material, PLGA, which is made into particles at the nano- or micro-scale depending on the application.

In 2007, what did Series A venture investments reveal about the state of the health care industry? It was very healthy, thank you. There were quite a few deals to choose from, and numbers demonstrated continued growth in diagnostics fundraising, a resurgence in vaccines, and evidence of pharma's interest in proof-of-concept projects and large-molecule platforms. Medical device investors, meanwhile, remain enamored with concept companies seeking to blend electronics-such as neurostimulation or miniature sensors-with devices.