The European Innovation Council (EIC), via its Investors Programme, enables and supports valuable matchmaking opportunities between EIC beneficiaries and financial and business partners to achieve sustainable growth. Resulting of the EIC x CUF Investor Day on Healthcare in November 2022, German-based quantum tech company NVision secured a Series A deal with top investing venture capital firm PATHENA Investments.
The EIC’s Investors Programme supports startups and SMEs while promoting sustainable innovation and growth across all EIC beneficiaries. By connecting EIC beneficiaries with important investors, the Investors Programme aims to potentiate successful matchmaking situations between both parties. An example of that occurred during the EIC x CUF Investor Day on Healthcare initiative in November 2022, where the German-based quantum tech EIC beneficiary NVision – developer of MRI polarisers and hyperpolarised imaging agents for cancer diagnosis and treatment assessments encountered PATHENA Investments – a highly reputable company with a track-record on boosting the success of Information Technology and Digital Health companies.
Founded in 2015, NVision is a leading developer of MRI polarisers and hyperpolarised imaging agents. Its hyperpolarisation permits the assessment of human and animal metabolism by standard MRI, enabling advanced preclinical and clinical applications, including novel cancer diagnosis and monitoring of response to therapy.
NVision’s innovative technology resonated with the venture capital firm, as António Murta, Managing Partner, Co-founder and CEO at PATHENA Investments, builds upon how the interaction and Series A investment deal with NVision happened:
“NVision is developing a disruptive method to visualise and get quick/accessible information for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring response to treatment in cancer and other diseases. This opened new ways to improve care, in several medical domains, starting with Oncology. It was great to be part of the EIC Investor Day that took place at CUF Tejo in Lisbon, and come across this opportunity, given it was so well organised and brought together a very relevant set of start-ups and investors.”
On top of the investment round, PATHENA Investments will also help NVision with business development and internationalisation.
“We are a hands-on active investor. We will help NVision in its business development in Iberia and Brazil. We are also keen to help with our own network of great contact in the Cardiology and Neurology verticals of application. We are excited to be part of NVision’s journey."
Setting it all in motion
Tobias Hahn, Senior Director & Head of Business Development and Strategy at NVision, explained how the interaction with the investor started:
“PATHENA Investments got on our radar as we prepared for the EIC x CUF Investor Day on Healthcare, thanks to their focus and track record of investing in medical high-tech companies and their team´s deep expertise in medical imaging. We attended the EIC event in Lisbon, which provided a platform for startups and investors to connect, exchange ideas, and explore potential partnerships. PATHENA´s ambitious, pragmatic and active management style resonated with NVision, immediately sparking a shared enthusiasm for the future of health and medical technology. Recognizing the potential of NVision's innovative offerings, they requested more information and promptly scheduled a follow-up conversation, which set the stage for an efficient and seamless onboarding process. Presently, PATHENA Investments has collaborated with NVision to support the company's expansion into the Iberian market. Additionally, PATHENA Investments is part of a group of investors that collectively announced a $30 million investment into NVision.”
What the future holds
After the successful investment round, and with the current collaboration in place, the business relations between the two companies will continue to advance, as explained by António:
“We think they can contribute in a fundamentally disruptive manner to assess the Metabolic Response that we face in several medical applications. It opens a new window to understand if a given therapeutic plan is working for the benefit of the patient or not.”
Tobias shared his opinion about the benefits of the EIC Investor Programme and the impact of the investment for the company:
“This extremely successful investment round is a key milestone on our roadmap for the commercialisation of hyperpolarisation devices and consumables for research and clinical application. It holds immense strategic value for our company in supporting us to gain access to one of the key European markets. The connection created with PATHENA Investments offers tremendous value and shows how important it is to build fruitful connections and trusting relationships to support the future growth of our company, as well as others."
Additional Information
About NVision
NVision develops Quantum MRI agents for assessing early patient response to treatment at the metabolic level. In June 2023, NVision raised +€26 million in a Series A funding round with top investors. Previously, NVision received funding through the European Innovation Council ‘Pathfinder programme’ in the MetaboliQs project of +€1.4 million.
(Learn more about NVision Imaging’s breakthrough technology by visiting their official website.)
About PATHENA Investments
PATHENA is a Venture Capital Firm, with a highly reputable management team with a track record of boosting the success of Information Technology, Digital Health companies and Medtech.
About the EIC Business Acceleration Services – Investor Programme
This opportunity is brought to you by the EIC Business Acceleration Services. The EIC Business Acceleration Services – Investor Programme connects EIC beneficiaries with the most prominent European Business Angels, VCs and CVCs. EIC beneficiaries can participate in monthly ePitching events or larger EIC Investor Day with the opportunity to showcase their innovations in pitching competitions and meet investors in private one-to-one meetings. To explore other opportunities to connect with investors in Europe, keep an eye on our events page.
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.