A Galway-based medical device company innovating in maternal health has announced it has secured an impressive €6.5 million investment – allowing it to further develop its pioneering work in the area of Caesarean surgery.

The proceeds will be used to drive Nua Surgical’s manufacturing, testing, regulatory clearance and early commercialization of the company product, the SteriCISION C-Section Retractor. This innovative device is specifically designed to address the unique challenges of C-section surgery.

Nua Surgical, based at the ATU Innovation Hub on the Old Dublin Road, was founded in 2019 by Barry McCann, Marie-Therese Maher and Padraig Maher.

Since spinning out of the renowned BioInnovate Ireland programme at the University of Galway, Nua Surgical have become an Enterprise Ireland HPSU company and have received global accolades for their maternal health innovation.

The Series A financing round was led by new investor EQT Life Sciences, investing through its EQT Health Economics strategy.

The round was supported by new investors Texas Medical Center Venture Fund, Kidron Capital, and existing investors including Enterprise Ireland and business veterans from Ireland and the US.

Caesarean sections are the most common major surgical procedure globally, with over 30 million performed each year – and the SteriCISION C-Section Retractor is the only self-retaining surgical retractor specifically designed for the unique dynamics of Caesarean surgery.

This ergonomically designed and patented device provides fast, adjustable and safe retraction, enabling clinicians to deliver the baby, repair tissue, and, crucially, identify bleeds.

As a single-use sterile device, it aims to reduce the risk factors that lead to surgical complications, benefiting the patient, the clinician, and the healthcare system.

The new investment will support Nua Surgical’s next phase of development and the early commercialization of SteriCISION.

This includes expanding the team, establishing manufacturing in Ireland, and meeting the regulatory requirements necessary to gain FDA clearance.

Barry McCann, CEO of Nua Surgical, described securing this Series A financing as a crucial milestone for the company.

“It not only provides the capital needed to advance our product but also brings on board a group of experienced investors who share our vision for transforming maternal health. We are eager to leverage their expertise as we move towards commercializing SteriCISION®,” he said.

With this new investment, the Nua Surgical Board will be strengthened with several experienced female board members. Anne Portwich, Partner at EQT, and Anula Jayasuriya, Co-Founder of Kidron Capital, will join as Board Directors, while Gabrielle Guttman of TMC Venture Fund and Prashanthi Ramesh of EQT will serve as Board Observers.

Pictured: Investment…Nua Surgical Founders Padraig Maher, Marie-Therese Maher and Barry McCann.