Berlin-based Lillian Care, a healthcare technology company founded by experienced entrepreneurs in the German healthcare industry, announced that it has secured €2.4M in a pre-seed round of funding.

The company also plans to raise an additional €2.4M at the seed stage, with total funding commitments of €5M. 

The company says the funds will be utilised to address the shortage of general practitioners and provide primary care services in underserved areas.

Investors supporting Lillian Care

The investment was led by Barcelona-based Nina Capital, a specialised VC firm based in Europe that invests in startups at the intersection of healthcare and technology. The firm supports founders committed to advancing healthcare through innovative tech solutions.

The round also saw participation from Aescuvest, Caesar Ventures, OHA BTG, Calmstorm, and individual investors like Björn von Siemens, Wieland Sommer, Inga Bergen, and Fredrik Debong.

Marc Subirats, General Partner at Nina Capital, says, “The Lillian Care model represents a disruptive innovation that aims to involve nurses in the management of chronic and elderly patients, initially focusing on rural areas and small cities, but with the potential for broader application within the healthcare system.”

“Such models are increasingly recognised as essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems. Lillian’s adaptation to the German situation is the best we have seen to provide close-to-home general practice services for an increasingly underserved and ageing society,” adds Subirats.

Building innovative healthcare facilities nationwide

Founded in 2023 by Linus Drop, Dr. Florian Fuhrmann and Markus Liesmann, Lillian Care claims to be tackling Germany’s doctor shortage by establishing hybrid medical practices nationwide. 

Lillian Care takes inspiration from Lillian Wald, the founder of American community care. With her hands-on and problem-solving approach, she had a great influence on the development of healthcare.

Ulrich Weigeldt, chairman of the Family Physicians Association, says, “The Lillian Care concept can inspire young physicians to work as essential primary care physicians in underserved regions because they are relieved of administrative tasks, work from home on a daily basis and teamwork characterises the collaboration.”

Lillian Care’s platform empowers nurses to be the first point of contact for outpatients, handling 60 per cent of treatments with digital supervision from doctors. This approach allows physicians to concentrate on complex cases. 

The platform utilises data-driven processes, ensuring high-quality care and reintroducing local healthcare to underserved areas where practices have closed. In addition to improving healthcare access, Lillian Care also enhances working conditions for medical staff.

Capital utilisation

Lillian Care says it will use the funds to expand its hybrid medical practices network. With a goal to become a market leader by 2030, the company aims to enhance patient, nurse, and physician satisfaction while establishing value-based care contracts with health insurers.

This funding is crucial as around 4,000 primary care physicians’ offices are currently vacant and studies predict 11,000 more will be unfilled by 2035, exacerbating Germany’s physician shortage crisis.

Lillian Care’s innovative care model aligns with new initiatives introduced by regulators and health insurance providers, creating favourable conditions for its success.

Linus Drop, founder and CEO of Lillian Care, says, “We are building a network of hybrid primary care practices supported by a comprehensive technology stack that enables fast setup, streamlined workflows for interdisciplinary care teams and telemedicine treatments.”

“In Germany, the shortage of primary care physicians is a concern, especially in rural areas. To ensure medical care, we offer physicians and nurses an innovative care model that takes into account the needs of modern professional care teams and takes inspiration from the lessons learned by healthcare systems internationally,” adds Drop.

Berlin-based HealthCaters, a healthtech startup that aims to revolutionise healthcare with disease prevention tools, announced on Thursday that it has secured €1.2M in a Seed round of funding.

The investment was led by Barmenia Next Strategies with participation from Venpace, DvH Ventures, and angel investor Philipp Götting.

Jan Seidel, MD at Barmenia Next Strategies, says, “Health is the most important resource we have as humans. HealthCaters is on a mission to prevent diseases while helping businesses become more effective and sustainable, reducing costs on insurance, sick leave and staff turnover.”

“A new era of data-based corporate health solutions”

Founded in 2020 by Lilia Kruse, a medical doctor, and Tatyana Eliseeva, HealthCaters is a healthtech startup focusing on making disease prevention accessible and affordable.

The startup claims to be addressing the urgent issue of preventable diseases in Germany where two people die every minute from such diseases. Traditional healthcare systems often overlook prevention, prompting HealthCaters to offer 360° health assessments.

Co-founder Tatyana Eliseeva says, “Preventive care is no longer a niche market. With the medical system becoming more reactive, people are realising that proactively taking control of their health is the most effective way to avoid illness and chronic disease.”

“Our goal is to establish ourselves as the go-to health assessment service for modern and health-conscious individuals that fit their busy schedules. We will continue to partner with corporates and health insurers to provide access to preventive healthcare to more people globally,” says Eliseeva.

HealthCaters claims to provide fast, affordable, and convenient preventive healthcare using a medical self-screening station and an AI-powered health coaching app. This reduces insurance costs, boosts staff engagement, and improves productivity.

The approach allows people to test 27 health indicators with virtual assistance, generating instant, evidence-based 360° health assessments and actionable recommendations.

Co-founder Lilia Kruse adds, “Unfortunately, the mindset of treating symptoms instead of preventing disease remains the widespread norm in modern medicine. But health does not begin the moment we enter a clinic, feeling sick. It begins the second we are born and is shaped throughout our lives.”

“People are demanding transparency and knowledge on how to control health outcomes. People no longer want to be spectators in healthcare – they want to be drivers. Now more than ever,” says Kruse.

Capital utilisation

HealthCaters says that the funds will facilitate the development of innovative healthcare solutions and help the startup make a significant impact in disease prevention.

The funds will also help expand the company’s team to make HealthCaters health assessments more accessible in Germany and expand to other international markets.

Due to high demand, the startup is opening screening stations in Berlin and hosting pop-up events across Europe. 

Individuals can get quick check-ups and personalised health programmes in minutes. Expansions to more locations are planned, catering to the growing need for accessible and personalised healthcare services.

HealthCaters partners with companies like Barmenia, Cargill, and WeWork to enhance employees’ health through innovative screenings and personalised AI-powered coaching programmes.

Synerkine Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company based in Leiden, has announced on Thursday that it has successfully secured €5.3M in an extension of its Series A financing. 

The funding round was led by Flerie and was supported by new investors such as InnovationQuarter Capital and Utrecht Health Seed Fund, along with existing investor Thuja Capital. 

The equity financing is accompanied by a matching innovation credit from Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend (RVO) Nederland – the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. 

The announcement comes over a year after raising €3.5M in another Series A extension round of funding in December 2021. In 2019, the Dutch company raised €3.3M in its Series A round from Thuja Capital and others. 

The total new proceeds of €12.1M will be used to accelerate the development of Synerkine Pharma’s lead asset SK-01, a therapeutically active cytokine fusion protein, into clinical studies in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a severe chronic pain indication. 

“A lack of innovation has held back the treatment of severe and chronic pain for years, and an overreliance on opioid medications has led to wide-reaching negative effects. We aim to reimagine chronic pain treatment with a novel first-in-class approach that could result in a long-term pain-resolving effect,” says Hans Preusting, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Synerkine Pharma. 

“With the financial resources to advance our lead program into clinical trials secured, our focus will move towards establishing safety and proof-of-concept for our novel cytokine fusion approach. Our lead asset, SK-01, is progressing steadily towards the clinic, supported by a robust preclinical data package and with process development for larger scale manufacturing well underway,” adds Preusting. 

Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability globally and associated with enormous health-care costs. 

An increasing body of evidence demonstrates that the interaction between the nervous and immune systems plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of pain. 

Here’s where Synerkine Pharma addresses the problem. 

Synerkine Pharma: Treating chronic pain

Synerkine Pharma was founded in 2018 by Hans Preusting as a spin-off company from the University Medical Center Utrecht. 

The company focuses on the development of novel fusion proteins, called Synerkines, that combine the immunoregulatory activity of different cytokines. 

These fusion proteins have unique benefits over the individual cytokines and modulate a broad number of targets, including key elements in the pain pathway. 

It provides treatment options for chronic pain conditions with a clearly differentiated mechanism of action over current analgesic drugs and holds tremendous therapeutic and commercial potential. 

The mode-of-action aims to reverse the state of central sensitization, a heightened sensitivity to pain, holding the potential to fully reverse chronic pain. 

Synerkine Pharma’s lead molecule, SK-01, a fusion of the cytokines IL-4 and IL-10, targets multiple cell types and pathways involved in chronic pain and has demonstrated durable effects in a relevant animal model. 

The investor

Flerie is an active long-term life science investor, focusing on biotech and pharmaceutical investments globally. Based out of Stockholm and London, Flerie manages a portfolio of 33 investments in Europe, Israel, and the US. 

The company has over $300M AUM spread across 23 product development companies, seven commercial growth companies, and three funds.

“Synerkine has achieved significant progress over the last 24 months and is well prepared to reach the next value inflection point of clinical readout. We look forward to working with current and new partners helping the team to unlock the potential of their novel disease-modifying biology with a unique mode-of-action,” commented Ted Fjällman, Chief Executive Officer of Flerie.

Denmark-based biotechnology company MinervaX ApS announced the completion of a €54M upsized financing. MinervaX aims to use the funding to boost the development of a novel prophylactic vaccine against Group B Streptococcus, or GBS.

The vaccine’s development is critical as GBS is a leading cause of life-threatening infections in newborns and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Available prophylactic measures are insufficient against GBS, which spurs the urgent need to develop a new GBS vaccine.

This financing will enable MinervaX to develop its novel GBS vaccine towards Phase III clinical trials in 2024. 

The funding included investment from new investors EQT Life Sciences and Orbimed. Existing investors Novo Holdings, Pureos Ventures, Sanofi Ventures, Trill Impact Ventures, Adjuvant Capital, Wellington Partners, Industrifonden, Sunstone LifeScience Ventures, and LF Invest, also participated in this round. 

Vincent Brichard of EQT Life Sciences and Tal Zaks of OrbiMed will join the MinervaX Board of Directors. 

About Group B Streptococcus

According to the company statement, GBS is responsible for nearly 50 per cent of all life-threatening infections in newborns. Around 15 to 25 per cent of women are at risk of immediate GBS infection, in which they pose the risk of transmitting the bacteria to their child in the womb during birth or during the first months of the newborn’s life.

GBS infection in mothers may lead to late abortions, premature delivery, and stillbirth. Newborn children infected with GBS may suffer sepsis, pneumonia, or meningitis that may lead to severe morbidity, long-term disability, and death.

The only preventative strategy against GBS involves intravenously delivered prophylactic antibiotics. Yet, this strategy is plagued with problems, from the inability to prevent in-utero and late-onset GBS infections to resource unavailability in resource-limited settings.

Health advocacy groups and institutions, including Group B Strep Support, Group B Strep International, and the World Health Organisation (WHO), have recognised the need to develop a safe and effective GBS vaccine and awareness building of the bacteria’s health implications.

Current state of GBS vaccine development

MinervaX is currently developing two Phase II clinical trials in 470 pregnant persons across Denmark, the United Kingdom, Uganda, and South Africa. Initial reports have been promising, where the vaccine is highly immunogenic, has an acceptable safety profile, and is capable of activating functional antibodies.

Details related to clinical trials by MinervaX can be found on Clinical Trial’s website under the identifiers NCT04596878 and NCT05154578. MinervaX is also progressing with Phase I development of its novel GBS vaccine in Older Adults, under identifier NCT05782179.

Vincent Brichard, Venture Partner EQT Life Sciences, says, “EQT Life Sciences is thrilled to take an active part in the MinervaX prophylactic vaccine against GBS with the hope to save newborns’ lives. We are impressed by the clinical data achieved so far, the quality of the team, and the near-term milestones enabling MinervaX to start a registration trial.”

Tal Zaks, Partner at OrbiMed, says, “We recognise the unmet need for better protection against GBS disease for vulnerable populations and the potential for MinervaX’s vaccine to provide best-in-class efficacy. I look forward to working with the MinervaX team to support the full development of this programme.”

Germany-based Inovedis, a medical startup  that provides innovative solutions to optimise patient care and minimise the complexity of surgical intervention, announced that it closed a Series A round of funding at €3.78M. 

The funding round was participated by Inovedis’ entire initial seed round investors, including High-Tech Gründerfonds, MBG Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg, Volksbank Albstadt ChancenKapital, Start-UP BW Innovation Fonds, and angel investors, and an initial investment by Renolit SE, the current manufacturer of the SINEFIX implant.

Inovedis says it will use the funding to support the commercial launch of the SINEFIX implant system in the United States. The start-up will also use the fund to sponsor a clinical study in Germany to create data necessary to support CE marking and sales expansion into Europe.

About Inovedis

Trauma and orthopaedic surgeon Dr Stefan Welte and entrepreneur Lukas Floess founded Inovedis in 2019. Based in Albstadt, Germany, Inovedis aims to provide medical solutions to create optimised patient care and reduce time and cost in the healthcare sector.

Inovedis discovered its niche when the medical sector faced difficulty in treating rotator cuff lesions (RCL) with arthroscopic treatment that relies on suture anchor technology.

Their flagship product, SINEFIX, aims to increase surgery efficiency, improve the patient’s intrinsic healing potential, and respect the patient’s biological condition by creating flat and even contact of tendon and bone.

At the moment, SINEFIX is awaiting FDA approval in the US. At the same time, the European approval trial for SINEFIX is starting under the leadership of Prof Dr Philip Kasten, a specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery at the Orthopaedic Surgery Center (OCC) in Tuebingen, Germany.

How does SINEFIX work

SINEFIX implant system works by allowing refixation of the rotator cuff tendon to the bone with a simplified surgical technique that involves minimally invasive surgery.

The new surgery technique involves an extensive range of instruments, leading to minimal instrumentation and removal of time-consuming complex suture management and knot tying.

“Approximately 70 per cent of all patients have a partial thickness rotator cuff tear, while only 28 per cent have a full thickness tear. SINEFIX offers an effective treatment solution for small and partial thickness tears,” says Dr Kasten. 

“In contrast to current treatment options, there is no need to detach the tendon completely prior to reattachment and fills an important gap in treating rotator cuff patients,” he adds.

“The SINEFIX surgical technique will shorten the procedure time and potentially improve the tendon-to-bone fixation while using less implants,” says Dr Welte. 

“This is due to the higher pull-out forces than double row fixation with suture anchors allowing the implant to be used in porous bones. This simplified technique is designed to reduce the risk of complications due to surgical errors and significantly shortens surgery time, contributing to time and cost savings in clinical surgeries,” he adds.

France-based Orakl Oncology, a precision oncology drug discovery start-up, announced that it has raised €3M to develop its techbio platform. The company claims the platform integrates biology and real-world patient data to model tumours and speed up oncology drug development.

The funding round was led by Speedinvest, with the participation of HCVC and Verve Ventures.

“Our ambition is to become a world-leading techbio platform leveraging the smartest collection of tumour avatars to transform oncology drug development and bring faster, smarter and more cost-effective treatments to patients,” says Dr Fanny Jaulin, CEO and co-founder of Orakl Oncology.

“We are delighted with the result of this oversubscribed fundraising round, and we are very grateful to all our investors for their support,” she adds.

Orakl Oncology uses tumour avatars that merge top-tier biology with extensive clinical and molecular data. The company’s techbio platform helps oncology experts find important targets and expedite drug development.

Third-best cancer centre in the world

In oncology, drug candidates often reach patients too late in development. This challenge results in a 96 per cent clinical trial failure rate and missed cancer treatment opportunities.

The future of cancer treatment and drug development hinges on recognising the uniqueness of each tumour. To address this gap, Orakl Oncology combines cell biology, engineering, and machine learning to create individualised tumour avatars, mimicking real drug responses.

Orakl Oncology’s expanding avatar collection captures cancer’s complexity and diversity on a large scale, aiding pharmaceutical and biotech firms in identifying new therapeutic targets and predictive biomarkers, thereby boosting clinical trial success rates.

Jaulin and her peers, Diane-Laure Pagès and Gustave Ronteix, launched Orakl in 2023 as a spin-out from the Gustave Roussy Institute. Ranked as the third-best cancer centre in the world, the company has the global oncology market in its sights. 

“We are very proud of Gustave-Roussy’s spin-out, Orakl Oncology,” says Prof Fabrice Barlesi, general director of Gustave Roussy. 

“They aim to disrupt precision oncology by leveraging major academic and pharma partnerships to accelerate drug development, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes,” he adds. 

Orakl Oncology focuses research and treatment on colorectal and pancreatic cancers, which are ranked as the second leading cause of global cancer-related fatalities.

Wet and dry lab establishment

Orakl Oncology says the recent funding will enable it to establish its wet and dry lab capabilities. The company plans to recruit essential team members such as a senior oncology scientist, organoid scientists, a head of lab, an automation engineer, and an AI research scientist.  

These additions will empower the company to initiate its initial contracts with pharmaceutical and biotech partners. 

What the investors say

“Orakl’s co-founders have a powerful mix of scientific credentials, ambitious vision and entrepreneurial drive,” says Andrea Zitna, partner at Speedinvest. 

“We were impressed by the company’s dry and wet lab techniques, the quality of their biobank and the scope of their exclusive relationship with Gustave Roussy. We’re thrilled to be on this journey with them, adds Zitna.”

Xavier Mesnier, Principal at Verve Ventures, also shares the same sentiment. 

“Having an accurate and scalable representation of biology and heterogeneity in the patient population is key to advancing drug discovery,” Mesnier says. “Orakl’s tumour avatar platform delivers this at scale by combining patient samples with automation and machine learning.”

US-based Cordis, a leading interventional cardiovascular and endovascular technology developer and manufacturer, announced that it has acquired Swiss medical technology company MedAlliance for $1.135B (approximately €1.08B).

MedAlliance’s SELUTION SLR (Sustained Limus Release) programme, which includes a sustained sirolimus drug-eluting balloon (DEB), has been added as a new flagship product line that complements Cordis’ offerings. In return, Cordis will apply its sales, marketing, and distribution expertise to benefit MedAlliance’s customers.

Cordis’ customers will also gain from MedAlliance’s comprehensive clinical research and publications, especially those suffering from coronary and peripheral disease. These efforts will further strengthen Cordis’ commitment to delivering innovative patient solutions.

Shar Matin, Cordis CEO, says, “As a newly independent company, we are beyond proud to further our legacy of innovation and market disruption with MedAlliance and the first MicroReservoir sirolimus drug-eluting balloon, SELUTION SLR.”.

More about SELUTION SLR

SELUTION SLR is a new generation of a drug-eluting balloon designed to be as safe and effective as the best drug-eluting stents but without leaving any permanent device in the body. It uses a proprietary technology to deliver a sustained dose of the drug sirolimus to the vessel wall.

A drug-eluting balloon is a “balloon” coated with a drug that helps prevent scar tissue formation in blood vessels. The balloon is inflated inside the blood vessel to widen it and deliver the drug. 

This innovation allows controlled and sustained drug release for up to 90 days. It is available in a wide range of sizes to treat coronary and peripheral artery disease, making it a valuable addition to Cordis’ portfolio. 

It is now commercially available in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas (excluding the U.S.), and other countries where the approval is recognised. So far, more than 40,000 units have been used to treat patients during routine clinical practice or coronary clinical trials.

“I want to thank our entire MedAlliance team – including physicians, distributors and clinical patients – who have succeeded in disrupting the coronary and peripheral markets to provide a safe and effective new technology,” says Jeffrey B. Jump, founder, chairman and CEO of MedAlliance.  

“The arsenal of SELUTION SLR DEB clinical data is designed to change medical practice and improve patient outcomes,” adds Jump.

Approvals and studies

SELUTION SLR received CE Mark Approval for treating peripheral artery disease in February 2020 and coronary artery disease in May 2020. Three FDA studies involving SELUTION SLR are currently under work, with a fourth study on coronary de novo artery disease planned to start soon.

The latter is expected to complement the ongoing European trial with over 1,700 patients enrolled, halfway towards the planned 3,326. This trial could change medical practice by showing that drug-eluting balloons are a safe and effective alternative to permanent metallic stents for treating de novo coronary lesions.

This innovation made MedAlliance the first drug-eluting balloon company to receive FDA Breakthrough Designation status.

“We are excited to report on the positive SELUTION SLR data to date, with first-hand experience of the impressive clinical outcomes from patients treated with SELUTION SLR in Japan, India, Europe, and South America,” says George Adams, Director of Cardiovascular and Peripheral Vascular Research at Rex Hospital Inc. in North Carolina, United States.

“We are now leading the effort to emulate these results in the United States,” adds Adams.

Utrecht-based Cordys Analytics, a healthtech spin-off from the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), announced on Tuesday that it has secured €900K from LUMO Labs, Utrecht Region, and Utrecht Health Seed Fund.

“We are thrilled to have these investors on board. By joining their networks, we are well positioned to further expand our software platform and make it essential for clinical use,” says John van den Berg, CEO of Cordys Analytics. 

“Through our research collaboration with the UMCU, we will develop and refine AI-ECG algorithms and software and integrate our diagnostic services into the workflow of doctors and other healthcare professionals,” adds van den Berg.

Cordys Analytics: Improving early detection of heart disease

Founded in 2022, Cordys Analytics specialises in AI-powered software to analyse electrocardiograms (ECGs). 

The platform detects heart disease earlier and more accurately by leveraging the power of advanced deep-learning techniques. The software identifies subtle patterns and abnormalities in ECG data that traditional diagnostic methods often miss.

It helps healthcare professionals make informed decisions, reducing hospitalisations and complications from untreated heart conditions.

The software is vendor-agnostic and can be integrated with various healthcare organisations and ECG devices, making it versatile for healthcare professionals working in different clinical settings and regions globally.

The investors

LUMO Labs focuses on impact-driven software and smart hardware startups in Artificial Intelligence/Data, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Robotics and Drones, and Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality.

The current LUMO Fund II is an impact-driven multi-stage capital fund (pre-seed up to and including series A). 

It includes a two-year venture builder programme to support its portfolio companies in gaining financial success as well as social traction and impact.

“Integrating the unequalled potential of AI in healthcare for early detection and prevention not only has a tremendous impact on the quality of life of individual patients, but it also contributes to a more sustainable, affordable healthcare system,” says Andy Lürling,Founding Partner at LUMO Labs. 

“Cordys’ software has these qualities and – because it is vendor-agnostic – these benefits can scale wide and far. This fits LUMO Labs’ investment focus perfectly,” adds Lürling. 

“At ROM Utrecht Region we strongly believe in the potential impact of the algorithms developed by Cordys Analytics,” says Adinda Woelderink, Investment Manager for ROM Utrecht Region.

“The amount of data generated within cardiology offers a unique opportunity for AI-powered ECG analysis to be supportive in workflows and optimised detection of ECG abnormalities,” adds Woelderink.

Amsterdam-based Binqy, a workplace wellbeing startup, announced on Tuesday that it has secured funding in a seed round from two angel investors. However, funding and investor details were not disclosed.

The Dutch startup will use the funds to expand its platform, enhance user experiences, and reach even more organisations and individuals with its science-based well-being solution.

Further, the company is also planning to expand the team and acquire partnerships with companies that share their mission.

Jelle Houben, Co-Founder & CEO of Binqy says, “At the heart of Binqy lies a vision for a brighter future, where the ghost of burnout no longer haunts our workplaces. This seed investment will help us in achieving our mission: to prevent 1 million burnouts by 2030. In a world where stress and burnout have become all too common, Binqy is committed to reshaping the narrative around workplace wellbeing.”

What is burnout?

Burnout is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. According to Binqy, burnout can be prevented in various ways, including

• Prioritise Self-Care
• Set Clear Boundaries
• Effective Time Management
• Build a Supportive Network

“Identifying symptoms at an early stage, both in yourself and others, remains essential to preventing burnout. It is therefore very important to realize that burnout goes deeper than simply being tired,” says the company in a blog post. 

Binqy: Preventing burnouts depression

Binqy was founded by Jelle Houben, Joris Krijger, and Thomas Nieuwenhuis after their friend experienced burnout and depression due to a lack of support.

The company is on a mission to prevent 1 million burnouts by 2030.

The platform provides a science-based digital solution, providing employees, teams, and managers with real-time well-being insights, data, and feedback to help improve well-being and prevent burnout on multiple levels within organisations. 

The platform is based on the renowned Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model. 

By measuring how employees feel and identifying the causes of stress and engagement, the platform empowers organisations to proactively address burnout.

Cambridge-based unicorn CMR Surgical, a surgical equipment manufacturer, announced that it has raised €154.7M in a fresh round of funding. 

Ally Bridge Group, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Escala Capital, LGT, Lightrock, RPMI Railpen, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Tencent, and Watrium participated in the founding round.

The company also announced that its Versius Surgical Robotic System has completed over 15,000 surgeries worldwide. The surgeries include complicated procedures for hernia repairs, colectomies, hysterectomies, sacrocolpopexies, and lobectomies.

Versius is a small-sized modular surgical system for minimal access surgery (MAS). CMR achieved Unicorn status in 2019 when its value exceeded €938.6M.

Hospitals of varying sizes around the world have used Versius for numerous medical surgeries. These include the UK’s Royal Papworth Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust and Germany’s Klinikum Chemnitz GmbH.

CMR Surgical says it is going to use the fresh funds to continue product innovation, including new technological developments. The company also aims to commercialise the use of Versius in new locations.

Positive reception from health institutions

Officials from CMR Surgical, as well as Versius using health institutions, have expressed positive opinions concerning the MAS system.

“Versius is very well suited to our needs as a world-leading thoracic surgery department. We have successfully helped patients get the benefit of robotic-assisted surgery, and we look forward to developing our robotics programme working with CMR and other centres around the world as the adoption of Versius continues,” says Adam Peryt, consultant thoracic surgeon at Royal Papworth Hospital.

Supratim Bose, chief executive officer at CMR Surgical, says, “I am incredibly proud of our teams and what CMR stands for as we pass this latest milestone and work towards our vision of making minimal access surgery available to everyone.”

“The benefits of MAS for patients are enormous, and I am excited to see the continued adoption of Versius around the world, and the positive impact it is having on hospitals, surgeons, and, ultimately, their patients,” adds Bose.

About CMR

CMR Surgical (CMR) is a Cambridge-based global medical devices company dedicated to transforming surgery with its next-generation surgical robot Versius.

Founded in 2014, CMR actively cooperates with surgeons, surgical teams, and Hospital partners to make MAS affordable and accessible. Today, Versius sees widespread use in the UK, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

With Versius, CMR aims to transform the surgical robotics market with evidence-based technology and data.

In revolutionising the surgical robotics market, CMR is also an Official Medical Device Partner of ParalympicsGB. The company emphasises medical precision and control to assist Paralympians.

This partnership aligns with CMR’s objective to ensure MAS is affordable and accessible for everyone regardless of background.