Aspero Medical develops an intraoperative gastrointestinal endoscopic balloon overtube called the C-TubeTM that incorporates its patented PillarTM balloon technology. The company aims to enable more efficient and effective colonoscopies and to support complete colonoscopy procedures. NSF awarded a $1 million grant to advance development of the C-Tube product line. Aspero is a graduate of Innosphere’s incubation and commercialization program and is now a portfolio company of the Innosphere Ventures Fund. The project is led by CEO and principal investigator Mark Rentschler and supported by the Aspero team. The company positions its product against limitations in current endoscopy technology amid rising colorectal cancer rates and high annual volumes of GI endoscopies. Aspero Medical is a medical device startup focused on solutions for gastroenterology procedures. The company is developing an advanced intraoperative endoscopic balloon overtube as part of its C-Tube product line, which incorporates its proprietary PillarTM micro-texture technology. The NSF grant will fund finalization of a new balloon and overtube design intended to enable more consistent and complete colonoscopy procedures. Aspero is a spinoff of the University of Colorado Boulder and a graduate of Innosphere Ventures' commercialization program. Mark Rentschler, the company's CEO and a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, will lead the project. The company has received prior support from Innosphere Ventures and the State of Colorado OEDIT Advanced Industries grant program. Aspero Medical has developed the AP Balloon Overtube intended for use in gastrointestinal balloon endoscopy procedures, which a company news release says could improve procedure performance, save time for practitioners and patients, and improve patient outcomes. The company is using recent funding to support ongoing product development and to establish full contract manufacturing capabilities. Aspero plans to complete key regulatory filings and develop its commercial strategy with the new capital. Financially, the company announced a $500,000 seed investment from the Innosphere Fund and recently received a $250,000 Early Stage Capital and Retention Grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. In 2018 the Innosphere Fund provided $75,000 in the form of a convertible note, according to Aspero CTO Mark Rentschler. The company is based in Boulder and is positioning the AP Balloon Overtube for clinical and commercial advancement.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Grant

Latest activity

Nov 2021