RapidPulse has raised $48 million in an oversubscribed Series B financing to advance the clinical development of its aspiration technology for treating acute ischemic stroke. The round was co-led by Medtronic, TechWald Next and S3 Ventures. SBI Investment Company and the Florida Opportunity Fund also participated alongside existing investors Santé Ventures, Syntheon, Hatteras Venture Partners and Epidarex Capital.
RapidPulse plans to use the new funding to complete the TURBO study, expand clinical experience with its system across leading stroke centers and continue developing its proprietary technology platform.
The company may also seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration if the clinical data support a regulatory submission.
RapidPulse is developing aspiration technology designed to improve the removal of blood clots during mechanical thrombectomy procedures.
An acute ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to part of the brain.
Mechanical thrombectomy is a minimally invasive procedure in which physicians guide a catheter through a blood vessel to reach and remove the clot.
Aspiration systems use suction to engage and extract the blockage, helping restore blood flow to the affected area of the brain.
RapidPulse’s technology uses a controlled cyclic aspiration approach rather than relying only on continuous suction.
The company believes the pulsed method could improve clot engagement, removal efficiency and procedural consistency.
Its platform includes a range of catheter sizes intended to support the treatment of different blood vessels and clot locations.
RapidPulse is currently evaluating the system through its Investigational Device Exemption study, formally known as Thrombectomy Using Pulsed Aspiration for Reperfusion of Brain Occlusions, or TURBO.
The study is being conducted in the United States and Europe and is intended to support the company’s U.S. regulatory pathway.
The financing will allow RapidPulse to complete patient enrollment and other clinical activities associated with the study.
It will also support broader use of the system among physicians and institutions participating in the clinical program.
The company expects this expanded experience to provide additional information about the system’s performance across different patients, clot types and treatment settings.
RapidPulse was spun out of medical device incubator Syntheon and is headquartered in Miami.
Syntheon has developed medical technologies used to treat more than 50 million patients and generate over $6 billion in revenue for healthcare companies.
RapidPulse is building on that medical device development experience as it advances its stroke platform toward regulatory and commercial milestones.
The participation of Medtronic adds a major strategic healthcare technology company to the financing syndicate.
RapidPulse said the round reflects growing recognition of the potential clinical impact of its aspiration approach.
TechWald Next focuses on supporting emerging healthcare technologies, particularly within cardiovascular and neurovascular medicine.
S3 Ventures invests across healthcare technology, business technology and consumer digital experiences and manages more than $1.2 billion in assets.
The company believes its combination of differentiated technology, intellectual property and clinical development could position the RapidPulse platform as a new option for physicians performing mechanical thrombectomy.
The Series B financing provides RapidPulse with capital to advance the TURBO study, expand its catheter portfolio and move closer to a potential FDA submission.
KEY QUOTES:
“This financing enables us to complete the TURBO study, expand clinical experience across leading stroke centers, and data permitting, seek FDA approval for the RapidPulse system. We are particularly encouraged by the support of both leading financial investors and one of the largest medical technology companies in the world, Medtronic, reflecting growing recognition of the potential impact of our approach to stroke treatment.”
Sean McBrayer, Chief Executive Officer of RapidPulse
“We evaluated a broad range of emerging stroke technologies and believe RapidPulse represents one of the most compelling innovation opportunities in the field. The company combines differentiated technology, strong intellectual property and an experienced leadership team. We are excited to support RapidPulse as it advances through this next stage of clinical development. RapidPulse represents particularly well the highly innovative therapies that TechWald is committed to foster in cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases.”
Alessandro Piga, CEO of TechWald Next
“RapidPulse is exactly the kind of company S3 Ventures was built to back: a highly differentiated technology, a rigorous clinical strategy and a team that has earned the confidence of both leading financial investors and a major strategic partner. Stroke remains one of the most acute unmet needs in medicine, and we believe RapidPulse’s pulsed aspiration approach has real potential to meaningfully improve outcomes for patients. We are proud to co-lead this round and to support the team as they advance through their pivotal trial and toward FDA approval.”
Brian R. Smith, Founder and Managing Director of S3 Ventures
