$1.5 million was raised in a seed investment round to support the development of its futuristic automated external defibrillators by Hearthero, a medtech startup.

In an effort to make it affordable for the general public, HeartHero is designing a portable, “easy-to-use” AED.

The $1.5 million in the seed funding round came from a venture capital firm, angel investors and grant funding over its initial funding goal, said the company.

Gary Montague, HeartHero founder & CEO, said, “Now that we have closed our seed round of funding, we are one step closer to empowering millions to save their loved ones from a cardiac arrest. As a medical professional who has seen too many people die from SCA, I am thrilled that our investors believe in our product and our mission. The AED market is ripe for disruption, and we plan to do just that.”

Earlier this year, HeartHero received a $250,000 grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, which it leveraged to draw a bonus $250,000 investment from Canadian family office PIC Investment Group.

“PIC is pleased to add HeartHero to our Minority Investment Portfolio of Companies. My own personal experience with a family member’s cardiac issues has underscored the importance of getting this product into the hands of everyone at risk,” said PIC chief of equity investment, Laurie Dmytryshyn.