Escala Medical has been awarded €4.5m ($5.3m) to drive market expansion of its Mendit device for women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP).
Around €2.5m ($2.9m) of the funds for the Israeli femtech company were awarded by the European Innovation Council (EIC), with the remainder coming from a mix of undisclosed US and Israeli investors.
POP is defined as the descent of pelvic organs from the normal anatomic position, with childbirth, particularly with large or multiple babies, a major risk factor towards developing the condition. Menopause, obesity, and ageing are other common risk factors. Research indicates that 1.5 to 1.8 in every 1,000 women in the US are affected by POP, with those aged 60 and above at the highest risk.
Mendit is a minimally invasive device comprising a suture with an applicator tip that is inserted vaginally and anchored to the weakened pelvic ligament. Made of biocompatible materials that integrate with regional tissue over time, the other end of the suture is subsequently tensioned and fastened to a low-profile button placed beneath the vaginal wall, thereby ‘re-suspending’ the prolapsed organ.
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According to Escala, since Mendit received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023, hundreds of successful repair procedures have been performed with the device.
The company said the latest funding will support Mendit’s ongoing commercialisation activities in the US and the device’s market entry into Europe, for which a CE mark is currently pending. The financing will also reinforce international growth following a distribution agreement Escala recently signed with an unnamed Singapore-based partner covering Southeast Asia.
Escala CEO Dr Edit Goldberg commented: “This funding marks an important milestone as we continue to scale our operations and bring our breakthrough technology to more women worldwide.
“We’re proud to have the support of the EIB and our private investors, and we remain committed to advancing the next generation of our Mendit device to improve outcomes and expand access to millions of women worldwide who suffer from organ prolapse.”
While women represent approximately half of the global population, femtech has historically been viewed as a niche market, with investment at just 2% for the overall healthcare sector. However, change is hopefully afoot. In 2024, during former US President Joe Biden’s administration, First Lady Dr Jill Biden released $100m in federal funding towards women’s health as part of an initiative on women’s health research, with the monies directed towards early investment in femtech research and startups.
