Pointe Angels in Grosse Pointe Helps Medical Device Startup M3D Grow

Pointe Angels in Grosse Pointe, which meets monthly at the Country Club of Detroit to showcase promising startups, has been actively supporting M3D, a medical device startup based in Ann Arbor.

M3D’s “secret sauce” is a patented radiation sensor from the University of Michigan that is currently being used in homeland security applications. CEO Michael Hopkins outlined M3D’s plan to apply the technology to the healthcare sector.

“One of the biggest risks for any early-stage company is technology,” Hopkins says. “M3D has taken that risk off the table. Our radiation sensor technology has been around for 10 years, and customers like the Department of Defense and the FBI use it.”

Pointe Angels investor Jim Agley agrees. He saw potential in M3D’s approach and an opportunity to leverage his capital, experience, and network.

“M3D has done a great job of mitigating risk by using known nuclear technology in new ways to improve healthcare. Their cameras will make hospitals safer and cancer surgeries more effective. It’s exciting to be a part of something that can provide a good financial return while also improving people’s lives,” Agley explains.

Agley and other Pointe Angels investors closed M3D’s seed round in February 2024 and helped the company secure a key manufacturing partnership. “Jim has been a great resource for me since his investment,” Hopkins says, “both in terms of the companies he’s managed and the companies he’s invested in.”

In addition to Pointe Angels, M3D has also received investments from IDVentures, Michigan RISE, Biomedical Research Commercialization Center (BRCC), Spark, Accelerate Blue, Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund, and Northern Michigan Angels.

“One of the good things about Michigan is that the economic and investment environment is very close-knit,” Hopkins says. “All the early-stage investors know each other, which makes it easier to move in and make more investments.”

Fast-forward to July 2024: M3D unveiled its radiation safety camera, the RAVIN Cam, at the Health Physics Society’s annual meeting. The audience was enthusiastic, and M3D exceeded its pre-order forecast within weeks of the conference.

“Within two months, M3D’s RAVIN camera will be in customers’ hands,” Hopkins says. “We also plan to study the interoperable camera at the University of Michigan and MD Anderson.” For more information, visit m3dimaging.com/pl.

Agley and the Pointe Angels team will support Team M3D every step of the way.

“Being a part of the Pointe Angels Investment Club was really cool,” Agley says. “I’m still impressed with the quality of the investment opportunities I find there, and I’m excited about the potential for the ones I invest in to excel.”

Pointe Angels welcomes all accredited investors, with individual investments ranging from $10,000 to $500,000. The group, which places a strong emphasis on helping you build a diversified multi-asset portfolio, meets at the Country Club of Detroit on the third Wednesday of every month.

For more information about Pointe Angels, visit pointeangels.com/.