The Barcelona-based scaleup Aortyx, which specializes in innovative medical devices, has closed a Series A financing round of €13.8 million, led by Ship2B Ventures, through its BSocial Impact Fund (backed by Banco Sabadell, the European Investment Fund, and AXIS); and Clave Capital, through its Clave Innohealth vehicle (supported by CDTI-Innvierte).
The company was founded by a multidisciplinary team of doctors and researchers, including Jordi Martorell (CEO); Noemí Balà (CTO); Salvador Borrós (CSO); and Vicenç Riambau (CMO).
It develops minimally invasive solutions to treat aortic dissections, a serious cardiovascular condition that affects more than 50,000 people a year in Europe and for which there are currently no optimal treatments. It happens when there is a small tear in the aorta, which is the main artery carrying blood to the heart.
Aortyx’s bioabsorbable patch, together with its catheter-based implantation system, promises to transform the approach to this pathology, reducing the high mortality associated with current alternatives: open surgery, endovascular stents, or drug therapy.
Its technology, already validated in preclinical models, is positioned as a less invasive, more effective, and longer-lasting solution capable of sealing the aortic tear and stimulating tissue regeneration.
Closer to clinical trials in patients
The funds obtained in this round—in which Nara Capital, the EIC fund, CDTI-Innvierte, and other strategic investors also participated—will be used to promote the first clinical trials in patients, a key milestone in bringing the product to market in the coming years.
Aortyx, which emerged from a collaboration between the IQS School of Engineering and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, has developed not only the patch (made using electrospinning, a technique that mimics the manufacture of spider webs to create biocompatible materials), but also a smart catheter that deploys it precisely in the affected area.
Jordi Martorell, CEO and co-founder, highlighted the social impact of the technology: “Aortic dissections kill more people than traffic accidents. What we hope to offer is an effective, durable, and aorta-friendly option for treating aortic dissection and other aortic diseases. Our minimally invasive approach could save thousands of lives a year in Europe, where current alternatives have high short-, medium-, and long-term mortality and morbidity rates.”
A solution with global reach
The backing of specialized funds reflects confidence in Aortyx’s disruptive potential. Jordi Ferrer, Investment Director at Ship2B Ventures, explains: “We support Aortyx because it potentially represents a revolution in cardiovascular medicine. They are developing a solution that is not only disruptive and technically brilliant, but also driven by a clear social purpose: to save lives where there are currently few options. Led by an exceptional team and a bold vision, they have the potential to forever change the way we treat aortic dissections.”
Sergio San Agustín, Investment Director at Clave Capital and advisor to Aortyx, highlights the scientific origins of the project: “We are extremely excited to join Aortyx, a company born out of a vision that will change the paradigm of how aortic dissections are approached. The technology is the result of years of research at IQS and Hospital Clínic, which have been able to transfer this knowledge into a tangible development with the ultimate goal of saving lives.”
With solid intellectual property—covering both the device and the implantation method—and the backing of scientific publications, Aortyx aims to treat half of European patients with its first generation of products, positioning itself as a leader in cardiovascular innovation.
