The France Biotech business association released its latest annual survey covering the health-tech sector in France. According to the 2022 edition of the Panorama, 1,440 med-tech, 880 bio-tech and 4,000 health and artificial intelligence software companies have been surveyed, responsible between them for $1.4 billion in sales revenues and 14,000 direct jobs, not counting the 2,200 new jobs planned for 2023 mainly in R&D, production and support services.
The fundraising environment for startups in med tech is expected to continue to be challenging for at least another year as public markets remain closed and private investors favor companies that have already de-risked their products. One of the major issues in the U.K. and Europe is that the IPO markets are “pretty much shut” and “our public markets aren’t working”, therefore companies are having to rely on private funding, with venture capital being one of those sources, said Robert Tansley, partner, at venture capital fund Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC).
Current Surgical Inc. secured $3.2 million in a seed funding round to support development of its surgical needle platform to precisely destroy unresectable tumors. True Ventures led the round with participation from 1517 Fund and Scifounders.
Visionhealth GmbH will use the €3 million (US$3.2 million) it recently raised in a pre-series A financing to conduct a clinical trial on its digital health app designed to provide more accurate dosing of treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.
Ophthalmic startup Eluminex Biosciences Ltd. closed a $40 million series B round to progress its pipeline of ophthalmic assets and recombinant human collagen technology. Eluminex’s pipeline includes multi-targeted antibody molecules for vision-threatening retinal diseases and an oral small molecule for rare inherited pediatric retinal dystrophies, but its lead asset, EB-301, is a biosynthetic cornea derived from recombinant human type III collagen.
Affluent Medical SA reported the imminent raising of nearly $14 million to fund development throughout 2023 of its implantable medical devices for treating urinary incontinence and heart valve pathology. Affluent, quoted on the Paris Euronext stock exchange since 2021, issued new shares accompanied by redeemable share warrants with shareholder preferential subscription rights being preserved.
Rhaeos Inc. scooped up $10.5 million in a series A financing round led by Steele Foundation for Hope, with participation from Creative Ventures and Lateral Capital. The funds will be used to support the hospital launch of its Flowsense wearable hydrocephalus shunt monitor.
Xeltis BV has completed a €32 million (US$34 million) series D2 round that will propel the clinical development of its electrospun polymer implants across several indications. The fully synthetic implants promise the best of both worlds, with the mechanical strength required to be fully functional from day one, and bioresorbable properties that cause gradual degradation as endogenous tissue regenerates to form a natural replacement.