Team
Founder & CEO
Brian Bradley Johnson
Brian holds an MS in Medical Device Innovation from the University of Minnesota, where his work culminated in a patent filed through the University's Office of Technology Commercialization. He brings that translational, device-focused training to his current role developing Ella AI Nurse Assistant being piloted in long-term care facilities.
Executive & Co-Founder
Greg Shultz
Greg Shultz is Chief Creative Officer of Gasket Studios, the Minneapolis-based creative agency and content studio he has helped lead since 2005, building work that fuses strategy, animation, design, and post production for brands and agency partners. His team's range spans broadcast and digital campaigns to immersive AR, VR, and mixed-reality experiences.
Board Member
Dr. Randall Ross
Randall Ross, PhD, LP, holds the Edison W. Spencer Chair in Engineering Entrepreneurship at the University of Minnesota's Technological Leadership Institute, where he serves as MOT Faculty and Senior Fellow. A Licensed Psychologist with a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Iowa, he previously served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Minnetronix Medical, TCF, G&K Services, and American Medical Systems, and has authored a book and numerous articles on occupational stress and burnout.
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Simon Mittal MD
Dr. Simon Mittal is the founder of Envisage Health, a healthcare consulting practice offering innovative consulting, clinical support, and certified Medical Director services. With over 30 years of healthcare experience, he is a recognized expert in post-acute care medical direction, models of care, and the regulatory landscape across skilled nursing, assisted living, home care, and hospice.
Chief Technology Officer
Seeking Appointment
Steward of the technical roadmap — leading platform architecture, engineering team, and clinical AI product direction through commercialization and Series A.
Software & Data Science
Isaac Wodele
Full-stack engineer and data scientist building the Ella AI dashboard, clinical analytics pipeline, and ambient sensor data infrastructure.
Cybersecurity & Cloud
Abdul-Awwal Adesalu
Cloud and cybersecurity engineer maintaining the HIPAA-compliant AWS stack — Security Hub, GuardDuty, Cognito, and IAM zero-trust controls.
Electrical Engineer
Gavin Phillips
Electrical engineer leading PCB design, IWR6843AOP hardware validation, and sensor integration from EVT through pilot production.
Existing Shareholder
Tim Hokanson
Early investor and strategic supporter of Ambient Intelligence through the seed stage.
Existing Shareholder
Kyle Rolfing
Early investor bringing healthcare and entrepreneurial expertise to the Ambient Intelligence shareholder group.
Existing Shareholder
Dr. Britni Bolstad
Physician investor bringing clinical perspective and care network relationships to the Ambient Intelligence shareholder group.
Fractional
Fractional CFO
Financial modeling, cap table management, investor reporting, and Series A data room preparation.
Fractional
Fractional HR
Recruiting pipeline, onboarding, HIPAA workforce training, and employment compliance as the team scales.
Fractional
Regulatory Affairs
FDA 510(k) submission strategy, EU MDR filing, and ISO 13485 quality management system build-out.
Full-Time · Seed
Enterprise Sales
First dedicated sales hire to close SNF contracts, build the enterprise pipeline, and drive early ARR.
Contract
Clinical Research
IRB coordination, pilot study management, outcomes data curation, and peer-reviewed publication support.
Fractional
Reimbursement & Access
CPT coding strategy, Medicare/Medicaid SNF reimbursement pathways, and payer landscape analysis.
Product
Ella is the AI layer that makes ambient sensor data meaningful. It continuously analyzes motion patterns and generates plain-language summaries — surfacing what matters to the care team without requiring any interaction from residents or nurses.
Unicorn
The path to a $1B valuation.
Unit Economics
$99 per resident per month.
10× ARR to valuation.
Per Resident · Monthly
$99
SaaS subscription per bed
Per Resident · Annual
$1,188
Per bed per year at full occupancy
Valuation Multiplier
10×
ARR to enterprise valuation at scale
$1B Valuation Threshold
84,175
Residents on platform
84,175 residents at $99/month produces $100M ARR. At a 10× revenue multiple — standard for high-retention SaaS with a clinical moat — that commands a $1B enterprise valuation.
The Raise
Angel Round · Bridge
$500K
Aug – Nov 2026 · 4 Months
Fund the Minneapolis clinical pilot study with the University of Minnesota — from IRB approval through study completion and FDA pre-submission filing.
Residents to Rationalize
12
Pilot ARR
$14K
Company Value
$2M
Aug 2026
IRB Approval
Pilot launch · MOCAREV site ready
Sep 2026
12-Resident Deployment
Full sensor array · radar data collection begins
Oct 2026
AI Model Training
Interim data review · anomaly detection calibration
Nov 2026
Study Complete
Outcomes package · FDA pre-submission filed
Seed Round
$2M
24-Month Runway · ~$83K/mo
Commercialize Ella AI Nurse Assistant across skilled nursing facilities — from first revenue through market expansion and Series A threshold.
Residents to Rationalize
672
Exit ARR
$800K
Company Value
$8M
Month 3
First Revenue
SNF #1 signed · pilot outcomes close deal
Month 9
$150K ARR
3 facilities · first enterprise contract
Month 15
$400K ARR
8 facilities · SNF network effect building
Month 24
$800K ARR
15 SNFs · Series A raise initiated
Series A · Domination
$30M
Year 3 · 24-Month Blitz Scale
Deploy at scale — 12-person enterprise team, FDA 510(k) clearance, SNF chain partnerships, and $8M ARR within 24 months. Positions Ambient Intelligence for a $250M+ Series B.
Residents to Rationalize
6,734
Exit ARR
$8M
Company Value
$80M
Qtr 1
$2M ARR
35 SNFs · $30M closes · 12-person sales team onboarded
Qtr 2
FDA 510(k) Clear
3 chain contracts · 1,500+ beds under MSA
Qtr 3
$4.5M ARR
75 SNFs · Southeast & Midwest expansion
Qtr 8
$8M ARR
130+ SNFs · Series B at $250M+ · EU MDR filed
Angel · Use of Proceeds
$500K
Seed · Use of Proceeds
$2M
Series A · Use of Proceeds
$30M
Capital Roadmap
Three sequential rounds — Angel, Seed, and Series A — take Ambient Intelligence from clinical validation through national scale over 36 months.
Angel · Pilot
Seed · Commercialize
Series A · Domination
Go-to-Market
Memory Care. Direct enterprise sales into skilled nursing facilities — a concentrated, high-value buyer with a clear decision path and strong renewal incentive.
Target Buyer
Director of Nursing
VP Clinical Operations at skilled nursing facilities with 50–200 beds. Annual operating budget $100K–$500K. Decision authority for SaaS under $10K/month without board approval.
Unit Economics
ACV
$60–96K
per facility / year
CAC
~$8K
2 demos → 1 close
LTV
$180K+
3yr · 85% renewal est
CAC:LTV
1:22+
conservative estimate
Plant the Flag
Goal: 1 paying customer + IRB data
Direct outreach to Directors of Nursing at 2–3 Minneapolis-area SNFs. Observational study enrollment underway. Pilot outcomes data is the primary sales asset.
Prove the Model
Goal: $150K ARR · 3 facilities
Hire 1 enterprise sales rep. Refine pricing and onboarding. Publish peer-reviewed outcomes data. Build a Minnesota reference customer base for national expansion.
Scale Midwest
Goal: $800K ARR · 15+ facilities
Regional sales motion across the Midwest. Explore health system affiliates as distribution channel. Series A data room ready. $6–8M raise at strong ARR multiples.
Case Study
Cassia Life — 23,500+ people served across 5 states.
A real-world model of what Ella AI deployment looks like inside a mid-size senior care network. Cassia operates 38+ facilities across Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, Colorado, and Florida — skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care, short-term rehab, and community-based home services — with new CEO Matthew Kern leading strategic growth.
Skilled Nursing (SNF)
17 facilities · ~70 avg beds
Assisted Living
Est. portion of 3,300+ housed
Memory Care
Emerald Crest · 3 MN locations
Independent Living
Est. portion of 3,300+ housed
Short-Term Rehab
Cycling through SNF / care centers
Home Care & Adult Day
Community-based services
SNF Residents · Phase 1 Target
~1,190
17 SNFs · $1.41M ARR
Total Addressable · Phases 1–2
~3,010
SNF + AL + MC · $3.13M ARR
Implied Company Value
$31.3M
10× ARR · Ph 1–2 deployed
Revenue Model · Cassia
Pilot SNF
Scope
1 facility
72 residents
Economics
$86K ARR
$15K impl cost
Chain Expansion
Scope
5 facilities
350 residents
Economics
$416K ARR
$75K impl cost
Full Network
Scope
17 facilities
1,190 residents
Economics
$1.41M ARR
$255K impl cost
Ambient Team to Execute
Enterprise Sales
Chain-level account executives targeting Directors of Nursing and VP Clinical Operations at regional SNF operators.
Clinical Implementation
On-site sensor install, staff training, 60-day go-live support, and outcomes reporting setup per facility.
Customer Success
Ongoing clinical QBRs, renewal conversations, alert threshold tuning, and expansion upsell within chain accounts.
Regulatory & Compliance
510(k) submission management, state-by-state licensure, HIPAA BAA maintenance, and CMS billing code pursuit.
Reimbursement & Access
Medicare Advantage and Medicaid value-based care contracting. CPT code lobbying and payer affairs for clinical ROI positioning.
Scale
20-Year Roadmap. $1 Trillion.
Two billion people will be over sixty by 2050. Ella AI starts in Minneapolis skilled nursing facilities and reaches $1 trillion company value in 20 years by becoming the global infrastructure layer for long-term care — a compounding subscription platform with data advantages, regulatory moats, and a total addressable market that dwarfs any single healthcare vertical.
Minneapolis Pilot
Seed · MN SNFs only
Midwest Series A
130+ SNFs · Series A close
US SNF Leadership
10% of US SNF market · $150/res/mo
US Care Platform
SNF + AL + Memory Care · $200/res/mo
International Entry
UK · Germany · Japan · first markets live
Global Scale
25+ countries · full platform · data monetization
Global Care Platform
AI infrastructure layer for all long-term care
US Market · Total Addressable
Skilled Nursing Facilities
~900,000 long-term residents
Assisted Living Communities
~1.2M residents
Memory Care Communities
~800,000 residents
Home Care Monitoring
ambient-addressable subset of home clients
US TAM · Full Platform · $200/res/mo
$7.2B ARR
Global Aging Megatrend
United States
residential care · 8,400+ SNFs
Japan
1 in 3 over 65 by 2040 · gov-funded care
European Union
150M+ over 65 by 2030 · NHS-style systems
Australia + Canada
English-language · regulatory aligned
Rest of World
emerging formal care · Phase 4+ opportunity
Global TAM · 15M residents · $350/res/mo
$63B ARR
Data Moat
5M residents × 8 hrs/night of ambient radar = the world's largest biometric signal dataset for long-term care. Unassailable training corpus that improves with every new resident enrolled.
Regulatory Moat
FDA 510(k) clearance, HIPAA infrastructure, and state-by-state clinical licensure create a 2–4 year replication barrier at every new market entry, in every country.
Evidence Moat
Peer-reviewed clinical outcomes from the Minneapolis pilot become the procurement standard that every subsequent buyer requires — and only Ella can provide.
AI Flywheel
More residents → better predictive models → better outcomes → higher renewal rates → more facilities → more data. Each customer makes the platform more valuable for every other.
Key Milestones
What $2M accomplishes — from IRB-guided pilot to a business ready for Series A capital.
IRB Approval & Pilot Launch
10-resident study at Mount Olivet. 36 sensors across 12 rooms. PHI-compliant coded-ID data flows active.
Pilot Outcomes & FDA Pre-Sub
IRB data submitted. FDA 510(k) pre-submission filed. Peer-reviewed publication submitted.
First Revenue
First paying SNF at $99/res/mo. Ella AI live for nursing staff. CTO hire complete.
$150K ARR
3 facilities under contract. Sales lead hired. Pricing validated. Reference customer quotes secured.
$400K ARR
8 MN facilities. Outcomes data published. Series A prep begins. VC board advisor added.
$800K ARR
672 residents on platform. Series A data room complete. Midwest reference network established.
Traction
MN Partnership · ODAT
Non-Dilutive State Grant
Office of Discovery and Translation (ODAT) at the University of Minnesota — a State of Minnesota–funded program jointly administered with Mayo Foundation — provides funding and expert guidance to accelerate translation of health-related innovations into real-world impact.
9 AWS Stacks Live
Production Infrastructure
Full HIPAA-capable cloud platform deployed in us-east-1 — Kinesis telemetry, Bedrock AI inference, Cognito auth, CloudWatch + Security Hub + GuardDuty continuous compliance monitoring.
IRB Ready
Minneapolis Pilot Site
Mount Olivet Careview Home identified as pilot site. 10-resident observational study protocol complete and ready to submit. IRB-guided, HIPAA coded-ID data design finalized.
gener8tor Portfolio
National Accelerator
Backed by the nationally recognized Midwest startup accelerator — capital, enterprise connections, and a mentor network of 400+ investors and operators across the United States.
PCT Patent Pending
UMN OTC Filing
University of Minnesota Office of Technology Commercialization supporting the PCT application for the 60 GHz FMCW ambient radar sensing and AI inference system.
Mobile App 75% Complete
Nurse Alert iOS + Android
Expo SDK 54 nurse alert app — alert list, detail, acknowledge, and false-positive flag flows complete. EAS build configured for TestFlight. Apple Developer enrollment underway.