Kaunas-headquartered medtech startup Sentante recently raised €6 million in seed funding. The investment was led by Practica Capital and involved the EIC Fund. The startup specializes in creating teleoperated robotic systems designed to transform the way doctors perform procedures for cardiovascular diseases like stroke and heart attacks. Their technology aims to digitize these procedures, offering increased precision and safety for medical professionals. With this funding, Sentante plans to conduct essential clinical trials for their robotic system and prepare for its introduction into specific global markets. This financial support will aid in further developing their technology and bringing it closer to practical use in the medical field.
“We appreciate the trust and support from our new investors to help us reach our critical milestones. Sentante will revolutionize the way endovascular procedures are performed and we are looking forward to introducing our robotic system into clinical practice,“ said Edvardas Satkauskas, co-founder and CEO of Sentante. “Our innovative robotic technology will digitize and improve the procedure by empowering physicians to work with better accuracy, precision, and safety.”
Endovascular management of cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke, heart attacks, peripheral artery disease, involves over six million procedures annually. Despite the market’s size and innovations in the field, the procedure remains largely unchanged for over four decades. Physicians typically operate next to an X-ray source while wearing heavy lead aprons, manually navigating catheters and guidewires inserted into the patient’s vascular system. This method poses a heightened risk of medical errors and complications due to the non-ergonomic workspace and serious occupational hazards from prolonged X-ray exposure.
Sentante will be easily incorporated into existing treatment workflow, as it uses the same medical devices as in a manual procedure.
“We look forward to the initiation of the first-in-human clinical study later in 2024, marking a pivotal milestone that will showcase Sentante’s capabilities in peripheral vascular interventions.” said Dr. Tomas Baltrunas, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Company. “Controlled intuitively via conventional endovascular devices as the interface, the Sentante robotic system senses operators’ movements, providing a near-natural haptic force feedback experience. Even when working remotely, I can experience the same sensation of catheter and guidewire resistance as if I were physically present beside the patient.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Sentante, a company that aligns perfectly with our philosophy of supporting transformative innovations. With their unique teleoperated endovascular intervention system, Sentante is set to redefine surgical practices globally, improving both patient outcomes and the well-being of medical professionals. This investment underscores our commitment to advancing healthcare technologies that have the potential to create a significant, positive impact worldwide,” said Tomas Andriuškevičius, partner at Practica Capital.
Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board, said, “The EIC Fund aims at backing European innovators in scaling their journey and Sentante is a great example of how the European Union is helping top innovators. The EIC Fund’s ambitious commitment, alongside other investors, is an important step to boost their development.”
Sentante remains dedicated to advancing the landscape of endovascular care offering a transformative solution that promises to redefine medical practice globally.
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