TORONTO – Novel. Unique. Revolutionary. Terms too often used to indiscriminately describe medical devices that have yet to prove their stuff. Not so at France’s Ministry of Health which takes care to deem winning devices under its Forfait Innovation (FI) program “truly innovative, not simply incremental developments.” Last week the FI awarded Vancouver, British Columbia’s Evasc Neurovascular Inc. €2.76 million (US$3.37 million) to test its CE-marked Eclips for treating intracranial bifurcation aneurysms during a 119-patient trial at 20 French sites in 2021.

HONG KONG – Rokit Healthcare Inc. is working toward its goal of listing on the Korean stock exchange by July or August 2021. The Seoul, South Korea-based company will issue 12 million shares and targets setting the price range as early as July 2021. KB Securities Co. Ltd. and Mirae Asset will serve as organizers for the IPO.

More than doubling the amount raised by this point last month, med-tech financings are coming out strong in 2021, beating by 67% the early months of last year. The full year of 2020 broke med-tech financings records, reaching $59.7 billion. With $10.63 billion already raised this year, 2021 is well on its way to at least match last year’s amount.

Corvista Health Inc. has raised $65 million in a series C equity financing led by Ambix Life Science Fund I LP. The new funds are earmarked for ongoing research, product development and commercialization of the company’s noninvasive, point-of-care (POC) solution for rapid detection of heart disease. Joining Ambix in the round were Medventure Partners and several new and existing investors. With this latest infusion, Corvista has raised a total of nearly $100 million.

Bionaut Labs emerged from five years in stealth mode raising $20 million to develop Bionauts, microrobots designed to deliver therapies to treat brain disorders. The financing will support the company’s therapeutic program in glioma through preclinical development and further research and development in Huntington’s disease. Khosla Ventures led the financing with participation by Upfront Ventures, Revolution LLC, BOLD Capital Partners, and Compound.