Wellumio has completed an oversubscribed $9.75 million pre-Series A funding round to advance the clinical development, regulatory approval and commercialization of Axana, its portable brain imaging system for point-of-care stroke detection. The final close added Bioshore Ventures, an Australian medical technology investor, and Jumpspace Ventures, a U.S. early-stage venture capital firm focused on neurotechnology.
The round was led by Nuance Connected Capital, with participation from Icehouse Ventures, the Aspire Seed Fund of NZ Growth Capital Partners, Pacific Channel, Booster and Cure Kids Ventures.
Angel investor groups Flying Kiwi and Enterprise Angels also participated alongside international investors through the New Zealand government’s Active Investor Plus program. Retail investors joined the round through Snowball Effect.
Wellumio plans to use the financing to expand its team, advance product and clinical development, and conduct additional evaluations of Axana across more sites and geographic markets.
The New Zealand medical technology company is developing Axana as a portable, battery-powered alternative to conventional brain imaging systems used to evaluate patients showing signs of an acute stroke.
Rapid imaging is critical because clinicians must determine whether a patient is experiencing a stroke, what type of stroke has occurred and which treatment may be appropriate.
Some stroke therapies are most effective when administered shortly after symptoms begin. However, access to conventional magnetic resonance imaging and other advanced imaging equipment is often limited to hospitals with centralized radiology infrastructure.
Wellumio aims to move brain imaging closer to patients by creating a device that could be used within emergency departments and other acute-care environments.
Axana weighs approximately 50 kilograms and does not require contrast agents, cryogenic cooling systems or specially shielded rooms. These characteristics could make the device easier to install and operate than a traditional MRI scanner.
The company describes Axana as an MRI-based system enhanced with artificial intelligence. Its objective is to provide clinicians with information about brain tissue affected by a potential stroke while treatment decisions are still time-sensitive.
Wellumio’s technology is based on a proprietary method called Pulsed Gradient Free Mapping.
The technique is intended to identify stroke-related biomarkers without relying on the large magnetic field gradients used in conventional MRI systems. Eliminating or reducing the need for those components can support the development of a smaller and more portable scanner.
Wellumio received a U.S. patent for the technology in December 2025.
The company said preclinical studies and first-in-human feasibility trials demonstrated agreement between its technology and conventional MRI across important stroke biomarkers.
Those early results support continued clinical development, but Axana will require further clinical validation and applicable regulatory approvals before it can be broadly commercialized for stroke assessment.
The financing will allow Wellumio to test the system with additional patients, clinical collaborators and healthcare facilities.
Expanding evaluations across more locations can help the company determine how the device performs under different clinical conditions, identify operational requirements and collect the evidence needed for regulatory submissions.
Wellumio also plans to use the new capital to increase its internal product development and commercialization capabilities.
The company recently strengthened its leadership team by appointing Harry Marfatia as Head of Finance. Marfatia is based in Wellumio’s Melbourne office and previously served as Asia-Pacific Chief Financial Officer at Telix Pharmaceuticals.
He joined Telix at an early stage and supported the company’s growth as it became a biotechnology business valued at more than $1 billion.
Wellumio believes Marfatia’s financial and operational experience will help the company prepare for a more advanced stage of clinical development and eventual commercialization.
The company is also supported by an international advisory board and a global network of clinical collaborators.
Bioshore Ventures’ participation adds an investor focused on medical technologies developed in Australia and New Zealand.
The firm sees an opportunity for Axana to support a broader shift toward point-of-care stroke diagnosis, particularly in locations where traditional imaging infrastructure is unavailable or difficult to access quickly.
Jumpspace Ventures brings experience evaluating and supporting neurotechnology companies.
The firm highlighted the importance of moving diagnostic information closer to patients rather than requiring every potential stroke case to depend on centralized hospital equipment.
Axana is not intended to replace every function of a full-scale MRI system. Instead, Wellumio is developing it as a specialized tool that could provide rapid information during the early stages of stroke care.
Potential settings could include emergency departments, smaller hospitals and other acute-care environments where delays in imaging may affect treatment.
The portable format may also create longer-term opportunities in areas where access to advanced radiology equipment is limited by cost, space or infrastructure requirements.
Wellumio was co-founded by CEO Dr. Shieak Tzeng and is focused on improving the speed and accuracy of acute stroke diagnosis.
The company believes support from investors in New Zealand, Australia and the United States demonstrates growing international interest in portable neuroimaging.
The final close positions Wellumio to move Axana through its next clinical and regulatory milestones while preparing the business for a broader commercial launch.
KEY QUOTES:
“Every minute counts in stroke care, yet only a small proportion of patients receive treatment within the golden hour, when timely intervention offers the best chance of reducing long-term disability.”
“Our portable, AI-enhanced MRI-based brain imaging technology is designed to rapidly detect acute stroke at the point of care, helping clinicians make faster treatment decisions when time matters most.”
“The additional investment, combined with the expertise and international networks our investors bring, will help accelerate our clinical validation, regulatory and commercial milestones as we work to bring our technology closer to healthcare providers and patients who need it most.”
Dr. Shieak Tzeng, Co-Founder and CEO of Wellumio
“There is a significant global opportunity to improve stroke care, with timely diagnosis being a critical element of the care continuum.”
“We believe Axana is at the forefront of a major shift toward faster, point-of-care stroke diagnosis, and we look forward to working with the Wellumio team to bring this technology to healthcare systems around the world.”
Jeff Reid, General Partner at Bioshore Ventures
“Stroke care depends on rapid, accurate diagnosis, yet brain imaging too often remains tied to centralized hospital infrastructure.”
“Wellumio’s portable, MRI-based approach has the potential to move critical diagnostic information closer to the patient and meaningfully improve treatment decisions when every minute matters.”
Adam Caplan, Founder and General Partner of Jumpspace Ventures
