Dive Brief:
- Akura Medical closed a $53 million financing round that will be used to accelerate development of its thrombectomy technologies for blood clot removal, the company said Monday.
- The fresh funding will support the company’s Katana thrombectomy system, which is intended to remove a range of clot types, and NavIQ procedural planning software.
- Qatar Investment Authority led the Series C round, in which existing investors also participated. Some of the funds will be used to set up a joint venture in Qatar.
Dive Insight:
Los Gatos, California-based Akura received an investigational device exemption from the Food and Drug Administration in November 2024 to study the Katana system’s safety and effectiveness in patients with acute pulmonary embolism. The QUADRA-PE trial began enrolling patients in February.
Pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening condition that occurs when a blood clot, typically formed in the leg, travels to the lungs, where it can block the flow of blood.
While various types of thrombectomy devices are on the market, Akura said its technologies are designed to improve procedural precision and patient outcomes.
The Katana device uses high velocity saline jets to break up clots and prevent the catheter from clogging. The platform is designed to remove both soft and hard clots. The system’s sensors provide pulmonary artery pressure data during the procedure for monitoring progress.
Akura said the funding round will help it complete enrollment in the QUADRA-PE study and support its regulatory submissions. In addition, the company will continue work on its NavIQ software, which is designed to convert a CT angiogram into a 3D model of the pulmonary blood vessels.
The Series C financing follows a $35 million fundraising round in 2023 that was led by The Capital Partnership and Cormorant Asset Management, with participation from the PA MedTech VC Fund, AMED Ventures, Lilly Asia Ventures, Unorthodox Ventures and Shifamed angel investors.
The company raised $25 million in a prior financing round in 2022.
