AcuSurgical, a Montpellier-based company focused on robotic microsurgery, announces a €5.75 million Series A financing round led by Mérieux Equity Partners (via OMX Europe Venture Fund) and Supernova Invest (via Supernova 2 Fund), with Sofimac Innovation (via Pertinence Invest 2 Fund) and IRDI Capital Investissement (via Irdinov 2 and Inn’Vest PME Occitanie Est Funds) participating in the round.
Using advanced robotics, AcuSurgical is making ocular microsurgery safer and more accessible by dramatically improving the precision of surgical interventions. A proof of concept of the platform has already been completed with a first prototype validated in a preclinical setting.
The company will use the proceeds of the Series A financing to conduct clinical trials and reach regulatory approval with vitreo-retinal surgery as the first indication, paving the way for future applications that are not within the reach of surgeons today.
Retinal surgeries represent an annual global market of 1.6 million procedures, currently performed by a limited number of specialized surgeons. AcuSurgical’s robotic platform aims to increase the precision of current procedures, filtering tremor and augmenting visualization with the aid of a telemanipulated robot, while the surgeon remains in complete control.
Founded by Christoph Spuhler, serving as Chief Executive Officer, AcuSurgical has already attracted an experienced and highly skilled multidisciplinary team of executives, alongside the scientific co-founders, Prof. Yassine Haddab and Prof. Philippe Poignet, robotics experts at the joint research Unit LIRMM (Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics and Microelectronics in Montpellier) and Prof. Philippe Gain and Prof. Gilles Thuret, retinal surgeons at the Saint-Etienne University Hospital.
“Our ambition is to enable new treatments for retinal disease that will open new perspectives for the numerous patients who are impacted by these debilitating retinal conditions. We are proud of the vote of confidence by this strong syndicate of investors. This financing will allow us to grow the team and reach key milestones towards certification and commercialisation of a truly innovative surgical solution”, says Christoph Spuhler, CEO and co-founder of AcuSurgical.
“We are delighted to partner with such an experienced team and look forward to supporting AcuSurgical in bringing to market a novel solution that will improve ocular surgeries and open new procedures in ophthalmology”, says Valérie Calenda, Managing Partner at Mérieux Equity Partners.
”The robotics platform developed by AcuSurgical aims to help retinal surgeons perform complex procedures more safely and reproducibly. We are very pleased to support this new venture and excellent team” says Celia Hart, General Partner at Supernova Invest.
About AcuSurgical – www.acusurgical.com
Founded in 2020, AcuSurgical is a surgical robotics company based in Montpellier (France). AcuSurgical’s mission is to enable top-class treatment to the 300+ million patients suffering from retinal disease worldwide, a debilitating condition including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and macular holes. Worldwide, currently 1.6 million retinal surgeries are performed each year, with a yearly growth rate of 7%. This currently represents only a small percentage of actual cases, with the majority of patients, especially in emerging economies, getting inadequate treatment or often no treatment at all. The cutting-edge robotics platform from AcuSurgical aims to change this, bringing a new surgical paradigm to vitreo-retinal surgery based on precision robotics.
About Mérieux Equity Partners – www.merieux-partners.com
Mérieux Equity Partners (“MxEP”) is an investment company dedicated to capital investment in health and nutrition and registered with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). MxEP actively supports entrepreneurs and companies with differentiated products and services, giving them privileged access to its sector expertise and international network. MxEP currently manages around €670 million of assets and launched their latest venture capital fund in 2020, OMX Venture Fund, to finance high potential companies in the life science space, in Europe and North America.
About Supernova Invest – www.supernovainvest.com
Supernova Invest is a cutting-edge venture capital firm with a leading position in the French deeptech investment market. It manages and advises five capital funds for a total of €260 million AUM. Supernova Invest specializes in breakthrough technologies, developing start-ups in Industry, Health, Energy & Environment and Digital Technology sectors. Supernova Invest has a strong partnership with both the CEA (the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) and Amundi (the European leader in asset management).
The FPCI Supernova 2 is an early-stage investment fund managed by Supernova Invest. Its main investors are the Crédit Agricole, the Fond National d’Amorçage managed by Bpi France, the CEA, Michelin, BioMérieux, Vinci, EDF, CGG, UDIMEC as well as entrepreneurs and family offices.
About Sofimac Innovation – www.sofimacinnovation.com
Sofimac Innovation is an independent management company certified by the financial markets regulator (AMF) and dedicated to technological and innovative investment. Based in Paris, Lyon, Rennes and Marseille, Sofimac Innovation supports innovative start-up in their growth projects with a wide range of investment vehicles. Working in a wide variety of technological sectors, particularly in Health and Digital sectors, Sofimac Innovation is currently managing 9 Funds comprising around 90 active companies.
Pertinence Invest 2 is an investment Fund managed by Sofimac Innovation, raised in partnership with prestigious Universities and Schools and renowned industrial corporates. Pertinence Invest 2 is investing in breakthrough technologies in the Engineering Sciences and Health & Nutrition sectors.
About IRDI Capital Investissement – www.irdi.fr
Based in Toulouse, Montpellier, and Bordeaux, IRDI Capital Investissement has been a key player in private equity for more than 35 years, with an investment track record in companies located in the South-West of France and at all development stages. It manages more than €350 million spread across several funds, including IRDINOV 2 and INN’VEST PME OCCITANIE EST which were both leveraged to invest in AcuSurgical.
IRDINOV 2 – supported by the Fonds National d’Amorçage (FNA) – is a capital seed fund specialized in financing technological companies.
INN’VEST PME OCCITANIE EST is a co-investment fund supported by the European Investment Fund (EIF) and the Région Occitanie under the FOSTER TPE PME fund of funds.
Contacts
AcuSurgical
Pierre-Antoine FOREST – press@acusurgical.com / Tel: +33 (0)4 11 92 00 22
Mérieux Equity Partners
Gaelle BESOMI – gaelle.besomi@merieux-partners.com / Tel : +33 (0)4 81 69 55 82
Supernova Invest
Florian RIDARD – florian.ridard@vae-solis.com / Tel: +33 (0) 1 53 92 80 25
Clémence NAIZET – clemence.naizet@vae-solis.com / Tel: +33 (0)1 53 92 80 17
