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
Barilla Opens Global Call for Startups Through Good Food Makers 202625.5.2026 12:47:00 EEST | Press release
Barilla Group has opened applications for the 2026 edition of Good Food Makers, its global open innovation program designed to co-develop and test new innovative solutions with startups and innovators inside real industrial environments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260521973445/en/ Since its launch in 2019, the program has involved more than 1,100 startups from over 50 countries, leading to 26 pilot projects, with over 20 projects currently active thanks to the solutions developed by the program’s alumni. This highlights the program’s role as a concrete platform for industrial scalable innovation. The 2026 edition comes at a pivotal moment for the company, following the launch of BITE (Barilla Innovation & Technology Experience), the new innovation center dedicated to developing the next generation of food products. Within this inspiring premise, Good Food Makers confirms itself as one of the main levers f
JEOL: Sales Launch of the Laser SEM System “LazEdge”25.5.2026 11:16:00 EEST | Press release
JEOL Ltd. (President & CEO: Izumi Oi) has developed the “LazEdge”, an SEM system equipped with a laser processing system, and begins sales on May 25, 2026. Cross-section preparation instruments such as the focused ion beam system (FIB system), are widely used in science and technology fields across research institutes, universities, and industries. In recent years, demand is increasing for a system that can process large-areas at a high speed, while achieving high-quality of the processed surface. “LazEdge” is an instrument integrating JEOL’s SEM with the laser technology proprietary of Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., and enables laser processing inside the specimen chamber of the electron microscope. This system enables high-quality cross-section specimens produced through high-speed, large-area processing to be transferred seamlessly to subsequent analyses, such as SEM observation, elemental analysis, and crystal orientation analysis, without exposure to the external environment. As a resu
TFG-001, A Novel 3D Neural Microtissue Cell Therapy, Demonstrates Superior Functionality and Reinnervation for Parkinson’s Disease25.5.2026 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
TreeFrog Therapeutics, a regenerative medicine biotech company developing next-generation cell therapies, today announced that it will present new preclinical data on TFG-001 at the 7th World Parkinson’s Conference. TFG-001, a 3D neural microtissue cell therapy, demonstrated rapid dopamine release and extensive graft-derived reinnervation across multiple advanced translational Parkinson’s disease models—supporting its potential as a best-in-class candidate. The critical need for reinnervation in Parkinson's disease In Parkinson's disease, an estimated 60–80% of dopaminergic neurons are already lost before motor symptoms even appear. The nigrostriatal pathway degenerates, destroying the essential wiring that connects dopamine-producing neurons to movement control. While chemical dopamine replacements (like levodopa) can manage symptoms, they cannot restore the spatial precision, feedback loops, or dynamic regulation of a healthy brain network. To achieve true functional restoration, it
TFG-001, A Novel 3D Neural Microtissue Cell Therapy, Demonstrates Superior Functionality and Reinnervation for Parkinson’s Disease25.5.2026 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
TreeFrog Therapeutics, a regenerative medicine biotech company developing next-generation cell therapies, today announced that it will present new preclinical data on TFG-001 at the 7th World Parkinson’s Conference. TFG-001, a 3D neural microtissue cell therapy, demonstrated rapid dopamine release and extensive graft-derived reinnervation across multiple advanced translational Parkinson’s disease models—supporting its potential as a best-in-class candidate. The critical need for reinnervation in Parkinson's disease In Parkinson's disease, an estimated 60–80% of dopaminergic neurons are already lost before motor symptoms even appear. The nigrostriatal pathway degenerates, destroying the essential wiring that connects dopamine-producing neurons to movement control. While chemical dopamine replacements (like levodopa) can manage symptoms, they cannot restore the spatial precision, feedback loops, or dynamic regulation of a healthy brain network. To achieve true functional restoration, it
Galderma Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Differin ® Epiduo ® Acne Gel Prescription-to-OTC Switch22.5.2026 19:25:00 EEST | Press release
Galderma (SIX: GALD), the pure-play dermatology category leader, today announced that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Differin® Epiduo® Acne Gel (Adapalene 0.1% and Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Acne Treatment) for over-the-counter (OTC) use in ages 12 years and older, marking a significant Prescription-to-OTC transition in acne care. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260522074280/en/ The U.S. FDA approves Differin® Epiduo® Acne Gel Prescription-to-OTC switch This milestone represents yet another example of Galderma’s unique Integrated Dermatology strategy, demonstrating how proven innovations from its Therapeutic Dermatology portfolio can further strengthen its Dermatological Skincare offerings. The Prescription‑to‑OTC transition highlights Galderma’s scale and expertise in successfully commercializing dermatology innovations across the full spectrum of acne care. With the appro
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