The amount of money raised by the med-tech industry through public and private financings in 2020 is more than double the amounts seen in 2017 and 2018 and 37% above last year, despite massive global disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While med-tech deal values fall significantly short of last year, the 1,240 deals worth $4 billion recorded through November place 2020 above 2018 in terms of value and well above each of the last two years in terms of volume.

Wellcome Leap has launched its first program, dedicating $50 million to help develop human tissues, organoids and full organs. The Human Organs, Physiology and Engineering (HOPE) program is looking to bring biologists and engineers together to develop both therapeutic organs as well as organs that can be used in vitro to help discover and develop new medications.