Sofinnova Partners Announces Two First Investments from its MD Start III Medtech Acceleration Fund
2.7.2020 08:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Sofinnova Partners, a leading European life sciences venture capital firm based in Paris, London and Milan, announced today the second investment from its MD Start III Fund, a medtech accelerator that actively works with clinicians and entrepreneurs to develop disruptive medical devices. In May 2019, the fund raised €48 million from key institutional investors and has made two seed investments so far: MastOR and Gradient Denervation Technologies. The most recent investment is in MastOR, a French company leveraging its core expertise in surgical robotics to develop enhanced laparoscopic devices to improve the precision and ergonomics of minimally-invasive surgery. The company was founded in 2019 by a renowned pioneer in laparoscopic surgery, Professor Brice Gayet of the Paris-based Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, and entrepreneur, Pierre Campredon.
“The Sofinnova MD Start team is known for its active, hands-on approach to company building,” said Prof. Gayet. “Their strategic and operational expertise is the perfect complement to the years of research and prototyping we have conducted thus far. Together, we will be able to accelerate the development of this game-changing technology and bring it to its full potential.”
MD Start III also invested in Gradient Denervation Technologies in February. The company is developing a medical device for a transvascular treatment of pulmonary hypertension, based on prior research and intellectual property developed at Stanford University. This has been an important area for MD Start, given its focus on interventional cardiology as a very innovation-savvy and fast-adopting medical community.
“These investments exemplify our mission of transforming innovative ideas into medical realities and backing inventors who are developing disruptive concepts for outstanding medical devices and procedures,” said Anne Osdoit, Partner at Sofinnova Partners. “Our network and partnerships have yielded a rich deal flow pipeline and we are confident in the potential for this fund to continue uncovering first-class devices that address major unmet medical needs.”
About Sofinnova Partners
Sofinnova Partners is a leading European venture capital firm specialized in Life Sciences. Based in Paris, France, with offices in London and Milan, the firm brings together a team of 40 professionals from all over Europe, the U.S. and Asia. The firm focuses on paradigm-shifting technologies alongside visionary entrepreneurs. Sofinnova Partners invests across the Life Sciences value chain as a lead or cornerstone investor, from very early-stage opportunities to late-stage/public companies. It has backed nearly 500 companies over more than 48 years, creating market leaders around the globe. Today, Sofinnova Partners has over €2 billion under management. For more information, please visit: www.sofinnovapartners.com
About MastOR
MastOR SAS is a Paris-based, early stage medical device company, developing a surgical robot for laparoscopy assistance. It is a privately held portfolio company of Sofinnova Partners, financed through the MD Start III Fund. The core technology is derived from joint research between the ISIR robotics lab at Sorbonne University and Professor Brice Gayet, a world-renowned surgeon and pioneer in minimally-invasive surgery. For more information, please visit: www.mastor-surgical.com
About Gradient Denervation Technologies
Gradient Denervation Technologies develops a device-based minimally invasive solution for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension with technology derived from an invention by clinicians from Stanford University. It is a privately held portfolio company of Sofinnova Partners, financed through the MD Start III Fund and based in Paris, France. For more information, please visit: www.gradientdenervation.com
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005947/en/
Contact information
Media Contacts:
Bommy Lee
Head of Communications, Sofinnova Partners
blee@sofinnovapartners.com
+33 (0) 6 47 71 38 11
North America
RooneyPartners LLC
Kate Barrette
kbarrette@rooneyco.com
+1 212 223 0561
France
StrategiesImage
Anne Rein
anne.rein@strategiesimage.com
+33 (0) 6 03 35 92 05
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
HTEC Showcases Lakebase Branching at Databricks’ Data & AI Summit26.6.2026 12:18:00 EEST | Press release
HTEC, the global technology and AI engineering firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, last week showcased how it used Lakebase data branching to enable faster development, safer operations, and new possibilities for data-driven organizations operating in highly regulated environments. The Solution was developed in collaboration with a leading risk and compliance technology provider who serves financial institutions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260626875859/en/ HTEC, the global technology and AI engineering firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, last week showcased how it used Lakebase data branching to enable faster development, safer operations, and new possibilities for data-driven organizations operating in highly regulated environments. Solving Critical Development Bottlenecks in Regulated Environments At the core of the collaboration was a shared challenge: how to enable modern data workflows in an envi
Stallergenes Greer Named One of Switzerland’s Best Managed Companies for 202626.6.2026 11:28:00 EEST | Press release
Stallergenes Greer, a global leader in allergy care, has been recognised for its overall business performance, company culture, and sustained growth by receiving the prestigious 2026 Switzerland’s Best Managed Companies award. The 2026 Best Managed Companies programme award winners are among Switzerland’s best private companies. The awards are derived from Deloitte’s global Best Managed Companies awards programme, an internationally recognised programme that evaluates businesses based on their leadership in the areas of strategy, culture and commitment, capabilities, innovation, governance and financial performance. Applicants are evaluated by an independent jury of experts. The evaluation of the Switzerland awards is based on more than 30 years of observed practice from the global awards programme that has been rolled out in 50+ countries worldwide. This recognition reflects Stallergenes Greer's consistent ability to deliver on its strategic vision while maintaining the operational di
One in Three Western Consumers Now Buy Products Discovered on Social Platforms as AI Reshapes Commerce, According to NIQ26.6.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, today revealed new analysis presented at The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Global Summit showing that nearly one in three consumers in Western markets now purchase products they first discover on social platforms, as artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging commerce models accelerate a shift toward discovery-led commerce. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260626970024/en/ Presented by Emilie Darolles, President, West Europe, NIQ, the findings highlight a fundamental shift in how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase products—blurring traditional geographic, channel, and operational boundaries. New growth engine: commerce models scaling from East to West NIQ’s latest global insights show that live, social, and quick commerce models—long scaled across Asia—are now a significant driver of incremental digital growth globally, as these formats expand rapidl
SureWerx ® Acquires Genesi S.r.l.26.6.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
SureWerx®, a leading global provider of safety, tool & equipment products, announced today that it has acquired Genesi S.r.l. Terms were not disclosed. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260626881708/en/ Based in Bergamo, Italy, Genesi is a leading provider of safety solutions for work-at-height and confined space solutions. For more than 20 years, Genesi has built its reputation on a customer-centered approach, combining innovative, high-quality products with engineering expertise, training, services, maintenance and after-sales support to help protect workers in high-risk environments. Its portfolio includes fall protection systems, horizontal and vertical lifelines, anchor points, guardrails, ladders, access solutions, and confined space safety systems. Guided by the belief that there is no protection without knowledge, Genesi is committed to advancing safety culture and helping workers return home safely ever
The WSJ Leadership Institute Names Philip Morris International Among “Best Companies For the Future”26.6.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) has been named in the WSJ Leadership Institute’s inaugural “Best Companies for the Future” ranking, which evaluates large corporations on their ability to adapt and succeed in a rapidly evolving global environment. PMI ranks at #97 overall and is the third highest ranked company in the Food Beverage & Tobacco industry group after Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Compiled by Bendable Labs for the WSJ Leadership Institute, a premium executive learning and leadership program from Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal, the ranking assesses companies across six key dimensions - AI readiness, innovation, talent readiness, financial fitness, resilience, and agility - to identify those that are best positioned for long-term success. PMI’s inclusion reflects the reality that today it is a leading international consumer goods company, focused on a smoke-free future that is underpinned by sustained investment in science, innovation, and evolved organization
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom