Our Investment in BeSound
Breast cancer screening is broken. Mammograms, invented in the 1950s, remain the dominant tool despite their limitations. They miss 40% of breast cancers in women with dense breast tissue. The process itself is slow and fragmented: book a doctor’s appointment, wait weeks, undergo a manual exam, then a screening image, then a diagnostic image. For many women, this means weeks of anxiety while answers remain out of reach. The FDA recently updated its guidelines requiring providers to notify women with dense breasts that mammograms may not be enough, sending 40 million women a letter that underscores the shortcomings of today’s system.
BeSound is building an alternative: AI-powered ultrasound that collapses weeks of steps into a single visit. By pairing FDA-approved photo-acoustic ultrasound machines with proprietary AI, BeSound delivers precise functional imaging tailored to each woman’s biology. Unlike mammograms, BeSound delivers answers in hours and has been shown in real-world studies to reduce unnecessary biopsies by up to 75%.
That vision is why we’re excited be co-leading BeSound’s $6.76 million seed alongside Overwater Ventures, Muse Capital, and Lux Capital.
Why We Invested
After an hour with Bailey Renger, we were immediately struck by her unusual background. Her technical expertise, knack for brand, and intuition for the changing shape of healthcare present a rare triple threat. Bailey began her career in science, working in an optics lab, at NASA, and at Harvard in quantum computing before starting a PhD in physics at Brown. But during that time, she faced a medical crisis: “I always wanted to be a physics professor… but when I started experiencing severe pain, my doctors told me it was just cramps. I pushed for an ultrasound, and they found a tumor in my ovary. Then I had to wait months for an MRI. That gap in care was the catalyst for me leaving my PhD to start this company.”
Her story underscores why she is so close to the problem. With one in eight women expected to face breast cancer, Bailey’s blend of scientific training and lived urgency gives BeSound a rare edge. The company is positioned to deliver fast, accurate, and scalable diagnostics—offering hope to millions.
Looking Ahead
BeSound is launching first in Los Angeles with its inaugural West Hollywood location, where women can book same day appointments starting at $349. The company is expanding rapidly, including New York in the coming months, bringing FDA approved technology, hospital grade precision, and expert reviewed results within 24 hours.
In the near future, breast cancer screening will shift from decades-old, one size fits all mammograms to AI-powered functional imaging that adapts to each woman’s biology. The future isn’t just about finding cancers earlier, it’s about giving women fast, precise answers, and building an experience that puts them at the center of care.
Join the waitlist at BeSound.
