InPress Technologies and nVision, two Fogarty Institute companies aiming to improve women’s health, recently received Series A and Series B rounds of funding respectively, further validating the legitimacy and significance of the medical devices they are developing.
nVision
Headed by founder, CEO and president Surbhi Sarna, nVision announced its Series B round of $12 million led by Arboretum Ventures. All Series A investors, including Catalyst Health Ventures, also participated in the second round of funding. The new infusion will be used to further advance the startup’s technology and support additional regulatory clearance submissions and clinical studies.
nVision has long captured the interest of investors and healthcare professionals with its patented micro-catheter technology that allows unprecedented access to the fallopian tubes. The technology greatly expands diagnostic procedures that can be conducted in the gynecologist’s office, without painful incisions or general anesthesia, and allows detection of a host of clinical indications previously thought impossible.
The startup has developed two diagnostic devices: the first allows physicians to safely and non-invasively collect cells from the fallopian tubes for further evaluation, and the second provides direct visualization of the fallopian tube lumen, which, when blocked, is one of the leading causes of infertility.
nVision has obtained FDA clearance for its first device, supported by a recent clinical study which demonstrated that 99 percent of the cell samples collected from the fallopian tube were adequate for further diagnostic evaluation.
First-in-women studies were successfully conducted for the second device and more will be underway in the coming months along with FDA submissions.
Anne Morrissey was recently named CEO of InPress Technologies
InPress Technologies
A mother dies of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) every four minutes. This staggering statistic and InPress’ simple, yet effective solution, has helped the startup secure a Series A round of $1.2 million, led by seasoned life science investors and executives who embrace InPress’ vision to eradicate PPH globally.
Nearly 80 percent of PPH cases are caused by uterine atony, or the failure of the uterus to contract to its correct postpartum size, which leaves intra-uterine blood vessels fully dilated. Women suffering from this condition are at risk of severe and dangerous blood loss that can lead to death.
The startup has developed and patented the only device that treats uterine atony. Unlike other treatments available, its technology encourages the body’s natural response after childbirth by collapsing the uterus to its correct postpartum size to stop PPH.
InPress’ first-in-women clinical studies stopped postpartum hemorrhage within two minutes in all of its cases, without recurrence. The single-use device has the potential to dramatically reduce the cost of intervention during childbirth and substantially reduce the risk of loss of life, particularly in the developing world where the greatest incidence of maternal morbidity and mortality exist.
The company recently hired Anne Morrissey, a seasoned healthcare veteran and social entrepreneur, as its CEO. Jessie Becker is the founder and COO of the startup.