Participated · Series B · Apr 2024

CryoTherapeutics has developed an intravascular catheter system that delivers cryoenergy at approximately –10° to –20°C via a console-controlled cooling agent to stabilise high-risk coronary plaque and potentially prevent heart attacks. The company has completed first-in-human studies with follow-up and reports promising early data on safety and feasibility. CoreAlst served as the corelab involved in analysis of the clinical data, and the firm plans to present early human results at CRT in Washington DC and at EuroPCR in Paris. Proceeds from its recent fundraise will support additional clinical evaluation of the technology and the development of a next-generation catheter system for advanced clinical studies and early commercialisation. CryoTherapeutics said it will also use funding to expand its team in Liège. The company was founded by John Yianni, who is a board member of several medical device companies and a partner at Earlybird Venture Capital Health Fund. CryoTherapeutics develops a proprietary intravascular cryotherapy catheter that delivers sub-zero temperatures at its tip to treat inflamed areas of the coronary artery and stabilise atherosclerotic lesions. The company is focused on demonstrating clinical benefit and early-stage commercialization of this cryo-energy technology in cardiovascular disease. It plans to leverage recent imaging breakthroughs to target vulnerable plaques and is commencing its first clinical study focused on treating this disease. Proceeds from the latest financing will fund that clinical study and support development of a next-generation cryotherapy system aimed at commercial launch. The company also intends to expand its team and local partnerships in the Walloon region as it advances development. CryoTherapeutics was established in December 2009 in Germany and located in Awans (Liège) in 2019. CryoTherapeutics develops a proprietary cryotherapy system—an intravascular catheter that delivers sub-zero temperatures at its tip to treat inflamed areas of the coronary artery. The technology aims to stabilize lesions that might rupture and cause heart attacks, positioning the product for treatment of coronary artery disease. The company is focused on development, demonstration of clinical benefit, and early-stage commercialization. It intends to use the €7m Series B funds for clinical activities, further R&D, talent acquisition, international growth and to establish operations at a new facility in Awans, Belgium. Financing came as a mix of equity, debt and grants, including non-dilutive cash advances from the Walloon region (DG06); investors include Noshaq, Peppermint Venture Partners, Creathor Ventures and Getz Brothers. CryoTherapeutics was established in December 2009 and is led by CEO John Yianni. CryoTherapeutics is developing a proprietary cryotherapy system delivered via catheter for treatment of coronary artery disease, including acute coronary syndromes and myocardial infarction. The approach aims in many patients to avoid the use of intravascular stents or scaffolds, thereby maintaining vascular function in the treated vessel. The company intends to advance its catheter-based system into a clinical trial with the goal of achieving CE-mark market approval in Europe. In July 2016 it raised €5.2m in a Series B financing to support that clinical development. The round was led by Creathor Venture and included existing investors. CryoTherapeutics was established in December 2009 by Dr. John Yianni (CEO) and Dr. Maurice Buchbinder (CMO) and is based in Potsdam, Germany. CryoTherapeutics develops a proprietary catheter-based cryotherapy system intended to treat coronary artery disease and prevent heart attacks. The system uses cryoenergy and is designed for use by interventional cardiologists during acute care. The company's initial objective is to demonstrate the clinical benefit of the catheter-based approach in treating heart attack patients. CryoTherapeutics completed an extension to its Series A financing, bringing the total of the round to €6.5m. Established in December 2009 and based in Cologne, Germany, the company is advancing its device toward clinical demonstration. Management is led by Maurice Buchbinder, MD, Chief Medical Officer, and John Yianni, PhD, Managing Director.

Led · Series C · Oct 2016

Miracor Medical Systems GmbH develops and commercializes the Pressure-controlled Intermittent Coronary Sinus Occlusion (PICSO) Impulse System, an adjunct therapy designed to reduce myocardial injury and revitalize ischemic myocardium during and after primary PCI procedures. The CE-marked system comprises a reusable console and a single-use catheter and has shown encouraging results on MACE, restenosis rates, and event-free survival in early clinical work. A 10-patient feasibility study in Amsterdam demonstrated successful use of the technology, prompting the company to launch the pivotal RAMSES trial in STEMI patients. Miracor envisions PICSO becoming the standard of care for heart attack treatment, targeting the 30% of acute coronary syndrome cases that suffer suboptimal reperfusion—an addressable market of more than 350,000 patients annually in the U.S. and Europe. Beyond ACS, the technology is being explored for heart failure and cardiac surgery applications. The firm recently secured $3.5 million in non-dilutive funding to support its pivotal study, bolstering its financial position for the next phase of clinical validation.

Participated · Series B · Jan 2016

Emperra’s core product is the ESYSTA system: a diabetes app and companion hardware that automatically records insulin units and blood glucose levels into a patient journal. The ESYSTA app is the first and only stand-alone diabetes app approved by the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices as a digital health application (DiGA). The hardware devices required to document glucose and/or insulin levels are available on prescription, and the ESYSTA app itself can now be prescribed to patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic the company has been providing the technology free of charge. Brandenburg Kapital recently supported Emperra in a financing round alongside Peppermint Venture Partners, H.T.B. Unternehmensbeteiligungen and Pathways Ventures, plus other private investors. The article does not disclose revenue, user metrics, or the financial amount raised. Emperra develops ESYSTA, a digital diabetes management solution that integrates smart insulin pens, a blood glucose meter and CE-marked software (web portal and apps). The smart insulin pens are usable with all major insulin brands. ESYSTA enables therapy data sharing among patients, physicians, nurses and caregivers and displays information via web portal, smart TV and apps. In Germany the product has received reimbursement status from health insurers and is available on prescription for any patient with diabetes. Emperra completed a US$3.1M Series B and plans to use the funds for further product development and international growth, predominantly in the United States and Europe. The company is led by Dr. Christian Krey, CEO.

Participated · Equity · Jul 2015

CEVEC develops proprietary cell line technologies—notably ELEVECTA® for stable AAV production and CAP® for RCA-free adenoviral production—targeting scalable viral vector and complex protein manufacturing. The company’s ELEVECTA® approach uses producer cells with stably integrated components, enabling helper-virus-free, suspension-based AAV production without expensive transfection reagents or cGMP plasmids. CEVEC is implementing ELEVECTA® in HEK293 as a second host cell type to address common gene-therapy manufacturing workflows. The firm also offers CAP-Go® for recombinant production of complex glycosylated proteins and CAP® for adenoviral, lentiviral, vaccine and exosome production. Management says the company was profitable in 2020 and plans to use new funds to accelerate growth and expand cell line development capacities to meet rising demand. The company is based in Cologne, Germany. CEVEC is an expert in production of tailor-made recombinant glycoproteins and gene therapy vectors using a unique human cell–based expression system. Its CAP®GT platform includes suspension cell–derived viral packaging cell lines and a stable, helper virus–free AAV production platform designed to enable industrial-scale AAV manufacturing. The company positions itself as the first to make AAV production as straightforward as monoclonal antibody production and is upscaling the platform to industrial scale while commercializing with leading gene therapy partners. CEVEC’s stable AAV system uses chemically inducible producer cell lines rather than multiple transient transfections, aiming for more robust, reproducible and cost‑efficient manufacturing. CEVEC also offers the CAP®Go platform for producing complex glycosylated proteins and plans to expand its stable vector portfolio to include lentiviral, adenoviral and other vectors. The company announced a Series D financing round to fund the industrial scale‑up and commercialization of CAP®GT and to broaden its technology portfolio. Cevec Pharmaceuticals GmbH is a Cologne, Germany–based producer of tailor-made recombinant glycoproteins and gene therapy vectors built on a unique human cellular expression system. The company has developed and recently introduced two platforms: CAP(R)Go and CAP(R)GT. CAP(R)Go is a portfolio of glyco-optimized human suspension cell lines for tailor-made glycosylation of recombinant proteins. Its panel of cell lines differs in glycosylation capabilities and enables production of complexly glycosylated proteins such as cytokines, ion channels, virus envelope proteins, coagulation factors and other plasma proteins. CAP(R)GT provides a regulatory-endorsed production system for gene therapy vectors and supports lentiviral (LV), adenoviral (AV) and adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors. Cevec completed a €4.5m financing round and intends to use the funds to further develop the CAP(R)Go and CAP(R)GT platforms. CEVEC Pharmaceuticals develops and produces therapeutic proteins, vaccines and monoclonal antibodies using proprietary human cell expression systems that yield human glycosylation patterns. The company has developed proprietary and patent-protected CAP® and CAP-T™ expression systems designed to manufacture complex biopharmaceutical molecules and various vaccines. It licenses its human cell-based expression platform and its own Biobetter candidates through partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies. CEVEC intends to use the funds from the recent financing to continue growing its protein and vaccine commercialization business based on its CAP® Technology platform. The company also plans to develop additional vaccines together with partners contingent on a further financing round expected to close by the end of 2011. CEVEC is led by CEO Dr. Rainer Lichtenberger and CCO Wolfgang Kintzel. CEVEC Pharmaceuticals is a Cologne-based biopharmaceutical company that develops and produces therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies with human glycosylation patterns. Its proprietary CAP Technology is used to produce complex biologics and therapeutic antibodies with human-like glycosylation and sialylation patterns. The company closed a €4m financing round to support its growth. Investors in the round were led by Creathor Venture Fonds and NRW.BANK and included current investors and a group of private and institutional investors such as the venture capital branch of Sparkasse KoelnBonn and ERP Startfonds of KfW bank. The funds will be used to continue the global commercialization of the CAP Technology platform. CEO Dr. Rainer Lichtenberger said the new investors provide the resources required to finance the company’s ambitious growth objectives.

Participated · Series C · Nov 2014

Humedics has developed the LiMAx breath-test diagnostic system, which comprises a CE-marked medical device, breath masks and a diagnostic drug to quantitatively determine individual liver function within minutes. The test enables clinicians to tailor treatment strategies based on a patient’s liver capacity. Current applications include assessment before and after liver transplantation, liver surgery planning to evaluate resection risk, and evaluation of diseases such as liver cirrhosis. The company is led by Managing Director Erwin de Buijzer and is based in Berlin, Germany. Humedics closed a €6.3m Series C financing round to support its next stage of growth. The proceeds are intended to fund the European market entry of the LiMAx test and the corresponding FLIP diagnostic device. Humedics develops a proprietary, CE-marked diagnostic system (the LiMAx test) that quantitatively determines individual liver function capacity within minutes. The system comprises the FLIP medical device and an intravenous diagnostic drug preparation (13C-Methacetin). Current applications include assessment before and after liver transplantation, planning of liver surgeries, and evaluation of liver diseases such as cirrhosis. The company completed its first venture financing round to support final development and early commercialization. The amount raised was undisclosed; management intends to deploy the funds to finish development and begin commercial rollout. Humedics is led by Dr. Klaus Stöckemann (Chairman) and Managing Director Wilfried Heyne and is based in Berlin, Germany. Humedics commercializes an innovative method for instantaneous measurement of liver function at the patient’s bedside. The newly formed spin-off from Freie Universität Berlin and the Charité university hospital is based in Grossbeeren, Germany. The company plans to develop production devices and pursue regulatory approval for its bedside liver-function measurement technology. Humedics received a €500,000 investment from High‑Tech Gründerfonds to begin development and the approval process. The funds are earmarked to start production-device development and the regulatory filings required for clinical use. No revenue, user, or other operating metrics were disclosed in the article.