Even without an oracle, it is clear that Delfi Diagnostics Inc.’s $225 million series B fundraising round positions the company well to further develop its liquid biopsy tests for early cancer detection and monitoring. Delfi’s liquid biopsy platform uses a whole genome fragmentation analysis approach for both individual cancer and multicancer detection.
Ophthalmic and microsurgery device maker Carl Zeiss Meditec AG is investing in regenerative medicine startup Precise Bio Ltd. to jointly develop 4D bio-fabricated corneal transplants for diseases that require endothelial keratoplasty and natural lenticule transplants. Under the terms of the agreement, Carl Zeiss Meditec will lead a series B financing round in Precise Bio and fund development of two cornea transplant products.
Investors are backing neurostimulation device company Stimdia Medical Inc. with $16 million, in the first tranche of a series B offering expected to total $30 million. The Minneapolis-based company is developing a device that stimulates the phrenic nerves in a patient’s neck to exercise the diaphragm during mechanical ventilation and minimize ventilation-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction (VIDD).
Ganymed Robotics SAS raised a €21 million (US$21.2 million) series B round to develop its robotic system for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Health care fund Cathay Health led the round, with participation from Credit Mutuel Innovation, Kurma Partners, BNP Paribas Developpement, and individual surgeons. The funds will be used to finalize development of Ganymed’s TKA surgical assistant and support the company’s expansion in France and the U.S.
Investors are backing imaging diagnostics company Magnetic Insight Inc. with $17 million to develop its magnetic particle imaging (MPI) technology. The clinical imaging application consists of two core technologies: hardware and a tracer that, together, produce 3D images of how a patient’s body works. Venture firm Celesta Capital led the series B round with Alumni Ventures Group, Gaingels and existing investors 5AM Ventures and Sand Hill Angels participating.
Sidekick Health AB stepped into a leading role in the fast-growing digital health space with the closing of a $55 million series B this week and an ever larger number of partners for its gamified app. Designed to help better manage multiple chronic conditions, the digital therapeutic engages users in video game-like activities and rewards positive changes in lifestyle choices while delivering personalized educational components.
Investors are backing precision medicine company Cancer IQ Inc. with $14 million to expand use of its cancer prevention platform. The series B funds will be used to scale the company’s cancer screening service among diverse, uninsured, and rural populations in the U.S.
Mindmaze SA continued to add significant funds to its coffers with $105 million as part of a series B financing round, following a $125 million debt financing in October. The new money brings total funding to more than $300 million for the company’s virtual reality-based digital neurotherapeutics platform. Its successful fundraising has pushed the company into unicorn status, making it the first Swiss firm to be valued at more than $1 billion.
Investors have backed Oxford University spin-off ONI Ltd. with $75 million to push commercialization of its nanoimaging technology. The startup’s flagship product Nanoimager is a desktop, super resolution microscope capable of visualizing, tracking, and imaging individual molecules in living cells with 20 nm resolution. The technology is already in use with biomedical companies to aid development of more efficient, targeted therapies.