Intravascular ultrasound imaging startup exits ‘stealth mode’ with $35M in funding

A startup company, working to develop a “next generation” intravascular ultrasound platform, has exited “stealth mode” to announce it has raised $35 million in funding.

San Jose, California-based Evident Vascular Inc. said that venture capital firm Vensana led the series A financing round.  The medical technology startup is working toward launching a new “transcatheter intravascular imaging technique” to acquire images from inside blood vessels and guide interventional treatments.

“While there have been significant advances in the options to treat peripheral vascular disease, the diagnostic tools needed to accurately and appropriately guide delivery of these therapies have lagged,” Cynthia Yee, principal at Vensana Capital, said in an announcement. “We see a tremendous opportunity to create a next-generation IVUS platform that addresses the needs of vascular interventionalists, and we are excited to be partnering with an outstanding team to launch Evident Vascular.”  

Intravascular ultrasound has “steadily made inroads” in recent years, the company noted, with clinical trial data supporting its use in both coronary and peripheral interventions. The company sees opportunity for future growth, given that peripheral artery and venous disease use is the largest and fastest-growing segment of IVUS procedures in the U.S.

Evident Vascular said its technology leverages artificial intelligence to enable “superior” image interpretation and streamlined workflows. Its aim is to expand adoption of IVUS, “driving increased market penetration and enabling improved clinical outcomes with faster, more accurate diagnosis and treatment decisions,” according to the announcement.

Marty Stempniak

Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic. 

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