Startups Seek New Treatments for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Somnair, backed with seed financing, is one of several companies advancing alternatives to CPAP for sleep disorder

Baltimore, M.D., September 4th, 2025 – Somnair Inc., a medical device company developing the first non-invasive neurostimulation treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), announced today the close of its $4.3M oversubscribed seed round, led by J2 Ventures with participation from Nexus Neurotech Ventures, Rice Alliance, and Wolfpoint Capital. The funding will support development and clinical trials of Somnair’s device as it works to provide a non-invasive alternative to CPAP and surgery for the 1 billion OSA sufferers world-wide.

Invented by Mitch Turley and Anders Sideris, MD at Johns Hopkins University, Somnair will provide a ground-breaking first-in-class non-invasive neurostimulation oral appliance for the treatment of this disease that afflicts 54 million Americans. Untreated OSA more than doubles the risk of stroke and heart attack, dramatically reduces quality of life and function, and costs the US economy $150 billion annually. Through the commercialization of the Somnair device, patients will be offered a comfortable treatment for their condition, obviating the need for CPAP, invasive surgical procedures, and implants..

"I’ve been observing this space for years as a physician in the U.S. Department of Defense, and OSA is one of the most pervasive issues affecting our force. The poor state of existing treatments is why so many people wait so long to get help. Somnair changes all of this,” noted Matt Goldman, Somnair’s lead investor and a retired Colonel in the US Air Force and Attending Physician with the Johns Hopkins Medical System, where Somnair was invented.

The device stems from the founders’ direct experience at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a storied history of medical device innovation and translational research. Dr Anders Sideris, a 2-time founder and CEO, treated thousands of patients in his time in ENT clinics and hospitals in Australia, publishing numerous studies on OSA management and innovation, while Mitchell Turley, an MIT-trained engineer and 2-time founder, spent his early career bringing Class III medical devices from concept to first-in-human trials at Cook Medical..

“During my years treating patients with OSA, we saw time and time again that tolerance was key. If the form factor made patients feel embarrassed, caused pain, or they needed surgery, many just opted out,” noted Anders Sideris, MD, Somnair’s medical co-founder. “So we looked to oral treatment solutions that everyone loved, namely retainers, which millions of people wear when they sleep, and adapted this form factor”.

“It was really that simple: delivery has to be what we’re obsessed with - people should not have to make significant sacrifices to enjoy sleep. Somnair is built around that. We're committed to delivering a solution that not only improves sleep but transforms lives,” noted Mitch Turley, Somnair’s CTO.

Somnair has already made significant progress in the development and testing of the device with promising results in both animal and human studies at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The team intends to achieve FDA clearance to provide their product for broader public consumption by the end of 2027.

About Somnair: Somnair develops novel treatments for obstructive sleep apnea with its first-in-class non-invasive neurostimulation oral appliance, a disease affecting 54 million Americans. For more information about Somnair, visit somnairsleep.com.

About J2 Ventures: J2 Ventures is a deep-tech venture capital firm based in Boston, investing in sectors critical to national security and private sector advancements. For more information about J2 Ventures, visit www.j2vp.com.