The ongoing pandemic brought about several challenges for investors looking for the next big thing, but some areas still have experienced growth. Experts addressed this topic and other issues during a panel discussion Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic’s 2020 Medical Innovation Summit. Moderator Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, health care editor, Business Insider, highlighted a bright spot, noting that by the end of the third quarter, digital health startups were doing well, raising $9.4 billion, according to Rock Health.

COVID-19 has prompted dramatic rethinking of supply chains, health care delivery, regulations, and collaboration that are likely to permanently restructure the med-tech industry, according to industry leaders speaking at a panel during the Advanced Medical Technology Association’s (Advamed) Virtual Medtech Conference on Oct. 6. In addition, the significant increase in debt and strong fundamentals position the industry for a burst of M&A activity.

LONDON – French venture capital firm Kurma Partners has announced the first closing at €50 million (US$58.6 million) of its second fund to be wholly devoted to seed and early stage investment in diagnostics. Kurma Diagnostics 2 (KDx2) will be invested in molecular and digital diagnostics technologies being spun out of universities and research centers across Europe, backing a total of 15 companies.

Alucent Biomedical Inc., which is developing a restorative therapy for peripheral artery disease (PAD), completed a $35 million series B financing led by a multinational strategic investor. The funds will be used to complete clinical studies of the Alucent Natural Vascular Scaffolding (AlucentNVS) vessel restoration system with photoactivated linking, the company’s first product.

PARIS – Gleamer SAS has secured $8.75 million in series A financing for its CE-marked artificial intelligence (AI) application that automatically detects all types of fracture in radiography. “This funding will allow us to move forward with launching Boneview around the world,” Christian Allouche, CEO and co-founder of Gleamer, told BioWorld.