How Our New Fund, SH², Will Invest

2 min readAug 19, 2021

We have a new member in our family of early-stage venture funds. The Science of Health and Happiness Fund (SH²) now stands alongside Joyance Partners to invest in young companies focused on individual health.

The funds have two primary differences. Joyance, a single-LP set of funds, focuses on the concept of Delightful Moments — how science/tech can help any of us feel a bit happier, healthier, calmer, peppier, less subject to pain or anxiety right now and for a little while. SH² is a multi-LP fund with a broader remit; SH² invests in science-centered companies that help people live longer, live better, or both.

To focus our team and direct our machine learning system for finding new companies, we have also formalized our investment approach for the new fund. SH² investment will focus on 4 key outcomes, across 4 primary fields, driven by 4 science and technology vectors.

This layered structure allows us to remain focused but still continue to change and grow as the venture landscape adapts to new challenges in health and happiness. Currently, based on our analysis, we will focus on the following industries and verticals:

HEALTH

· Mental Health

· Neuroscience

· Women’s Health

· Chronic Care

· Precision Medicine

· Behavioral Change

· Microbiome

HAPPINESS

· Inner, Local, & Public Space

· New Modes for Learning

· Emergent Communities

· Immersive Experience

· Lab-Grown & Plant-Based Meats

· Food & Drink Innovation

· Cosmetics & Beauty & Fashion

· Fitness & Physical Activity

· Pets

· Preventative Healthcare

· Next-Gen Food/Drink

· Senses — Olfactory, Gustation, Tactile, Hearing, Vision

EMERGING AREAS

· Synthetic Biology

· New Modes of Entertainment

· Personal Control of Energy

I’ll talk more about each of these emerging areas in upcoming blog posts.

Health is poised to undergo a fundamental worldwide shift away from disease response and Big Medicine, toward prevention and agency for the individual. We feel that the desire for happiness will propel health choices people make and vice versa. We intend to be foundational to that transformation in our new fund, SH².

By Managing Partner Mike Edelhart
@MikeEdelhart

How Our New Fund, SH², Will Invest

Written by Joyance Partners