Strategic Ventures Impact Insights: March 2026 (Volume 4, Number 4)

Nanocrine’s Plasmonic Chip Eliminates the Blind Spot in Cancer Research

For decades, cancer biology has advanced through increasingly powerful tools—genomics, imaging, and therapeutics that have improved survival and extended lives. Yet one fundamental limitation has remained: we are still largely blind to how cancer cells actively communicate in real time.

At the core of cancer progression is not just uncontrolled cell growth, but cell signaling—the molecular language cells use to coordinate behavior, activate survival pathways, and respond to external stress such as chemotherapy. Cancer cells exploit this communication network to evade immune detection and develop resistance to treatment.

The problem is not that this signaling is unimportant. It is that it has been invisible while it happens.

Researchers can infer outcomes after the fact, but they cannot directly observe how cancer cells are signaling, adapting, and evolving during treatment in real time. This creates a critical “blind spot” in both research and clinical decision-making.

Nanocrine eliminates this gap

The company has developed a biosensor-based Tumor Biology Profiler, a chip that detects molecular releases from live cancer cells as they occur. Instead of relying on retrospective snapshots, researchers can now observe dynamic signaling activity in real time—within seconds—and track how it evolves over hours or days.

This fundamentally changes the experimental model. Changes in cellular communication—such as early signs of treatment resistance—are no longer hidden. They are measurable, continuous, and actionable.

Just as important, the platform integrates seamlessly into existing laboratory workflows. The biosensor chips are designed to work with standard microscopes already in use, meaning there is no capital equipment barrier to adoption. This lowers friction for research institutions and accelerates deployment into existing cancer biology programs.

On top of the hardware layer, Nanocrine provides AI-enabled analytical software that organizes and interprets the high-frequency signaling data generated by the chips. Critically, the AI does not replace discovery—it amplifies it. The value lies in the generation of a completely new data stream: real-time cellular communication data that has never before been accessible at scale.

The implications are significant. In cancer research, timing matters. The ability to detect resistance pathways as they emerge—not after treatment failure—paves the way for more adaptive, responsive therapeutic strategies and more efficient drug development cycles.

Nanocrine is not just improving measurement. It is making visible what was previously hidden: the real-time language of cancer itself. And in doing so, it is finally beginning to bring light to one of oncology’s deepest blind spots.

Nanocrine Invited to NIH Spring Research Festival

In another sign of Nanocrine’s (https://www.nanocrine.com/) adoption by the scientific community as an important research partner, the company will be participating in the National Institutes of Health (https://www.nih.gov/) Spring  Research Festival on April 28 and 29. The event is by invitation only, and gives Nanocrine exposure to a wider variety of scientists beyond their current NIH customers, who are using the company’s Plasmonic Chip technology in current research.

Please contact Tony Coretto for more information or to arrange a meeting with Dr. Patrick Calhoun, Nanocrine's President and Chief Science Officer.

Copperstone Presents in Calgary, Alberta at May 7th Gathering of Investors

Copperstone will be presenting on May 7th in Calgary for a gathering of investors, technologists, and entrepreneurs. Copperstone’s co-founder and CEO, Jamie Yuen, will discuss Copperstone’s innovations, the enormous potential of robots to reduce human risk in hazardous environments (mine sites, search-and-rescue, agricultural waste ponds), and the opportunity to participate in Copperstone’s current equity investment round. This short video demonstrates one of Copperstone's robots in action.ZS2 Technologies will be hosting the event at its TechCenter (9128 52nd Street S.E. Calgary, just south of Glenmore Trail). The event will begin at 3pm local time on Thursday, May 7th, to be followed by light refreshments and networking.If you would like to attend, RSVP to Aleena Sage (asage@svrglobal.com) at Strategic Ventures. There will also be a zoom link provided for those who cannot attend in person.

New Funding from E8 Angels

Imperium Technologies’ InteliTrap® and SteamView® GenAI platform are revolutionizing the steam industry by transforming "dumb" traps into smart, connected devices. Imperium provides real-time, actionable intelligence, turning a $100 billion annual problem into a massive opportunity for savings, efficiency, and significant GHG reduction.

Recent updates include:

• New Funding: Secured $150,000 from E8 Angels.

• New VP of Sales: Robert "Matt" Matson, Jr. joins Imperium Technologies bringing over 25 years of domestic and global experience in engineering, sales management, business development, and marketing.

• Case Study Validation: After a municipal utility suffered a $1M+ expansion joint failure, an InteliTrap installation successfully identified hidden flow dynamics and a compromised boiler moisture separator. 

  
  

Please contact Tony Coretto or Mitchell Hauser for more information or to arrange a meeting with Brad Medford, CEO of Imperium Technologies.

EBITDA Up 59% YoY

Splash, the leader in sustainable automated carwashes in China (the world’s largest market), continues to break records, with strong topline growth, major cost reductions, early profitability, new development financing, resumed site openings, and Hydrocycle’s substantial sales pipeline:

• Revenue & Volume Growth: Splash successfully raised prices in Q4, driving a 24% increase in net revenue and a 17% jump in wash volumes compared to the previous quarter.

• Profitability Gains: The company cut total expenses by 27% year-over-year to their lowest levels since 2019, which boosted EBITDA by 59% year-over-year.

• Hydrocycle Milestone: the new Hydrocycle platform hit a major milestone by booking its first $150K in revenue, with significant European orders in the pipeline.

  
  

For further information or to set up time to speak with Splash's CEO, Rob Shesol, please contact Tony Coretto.

Lectrolyst Joins $2.7MM ARPA-E Project to Accelerate AI CO2 Conversion

Lectrolyst joins a team led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on a $2.7MM ARPA-E award to demonstrate AI-driven catalyst advancement for CO2 conversion. To view the full announcement, click here.

Lectrolyst co-founders Dr. Greg Hutchings and Dr. Feng Jiao published a Comment article in Nature Chemical Engineering highlighting sector-wide efforts to build commercial electrochemical CO2 conversion systems. To read the article, please click here.

Please contact Rob Parker for more information or to arrange a meeting with Greg Hutchings, CEO of Lectrolyst.

What Investors are Actually Looking for in 2026 (Q1 2026 Market Read)

The first quarter of 2026 has provided a clearer picture of how venture investors are deploying capital in early-stage sustainability and impact sectors. Across climate tech, industrial innovation, and energy transition markets, investment behavior continues to shift toward discipline, selectivity, and measurable execution.Four consistent patterns have emerged: capital efficiency, validated traction, sharper sector focus, and strategic value beyond capital. To read more on key fundraising strategies for founders please click here.