MÉRIEUX-EQUITY
18.2.2021 08:02:12 CET | Business Wire | Press release
AcuSurgical, a Montpellier-based company focused on robotic microsurgery, today announces a €5.75 million Series A financing round led by Mérieux Equity Partners (via OMX Europe Venture Fund) and Supernova Invest (via Supernova 2 Fund), with Sofimac Innovation (via Pertinence Invest 2 Fund) and IRDI Capital Investissement (via Irdinov 2 and Inn’Vest PME Occitanie Est Funds) participating in the round.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210217005035/en/
Using advanced robotics, AcuSurgical is making ocular microsurgery safer and more accessible by dramatically improving the precision of surgical interventions. A proof of concept of the platform has already been completed with a first prototype validated in a preclinical setting.
The company will use the proceeds of the Series A financing to conduct clinical trials and reach regulatory approval with vitreo-retinal surgery as the first indication, paving the way for future applications that are not within the reach of surgeons today.
Retinal surgeries represent an annual global market of 1.6 million procedures, currently performed by a limited number of specialized surgeons. AcuSurgical’s robotic platform aims to increase the precision of current procedures, filtering tremor and augmenting visualization with the aid of a telemanipulated robot, while the surgeon remains in complete control.
Founded by Christoph Spuhler, serving as Chief Executive Officer, AcuSurgical has already attracted an experienced and highly skilled multidisciplinary team of executives, alongside the scientific co-founders, Prof. Yassine Haddab and Prof. Philippe Poignet, robotics experts at the joint research Unit LIRMM (Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics and Microelectronics in Montpellier) and Prof. Philippe Gain and Prof. Gilles Thuret, retinal surgeons at the Saint-Etienne University Hospital.
“Our ambition is to enable new treatments for retinal disease that will open new perspectives for the numerous patients who are impacted by these debilitating retinal conditions. We are proud of the vote of confidence by this strong syndicate of investors. This financing will allow us to grow the team and reach key milestones towards certification and commercialisation of a truly innovative surgical solution”, s ays Christoph Spuhler, CEO and co-founder of AcuSurgical.
“We are delighted to partner with such an experienced team and look forward to supporting AcuSurgical in bringing to market a novel solution that will improve ocular surgeries and open new procedures in ophthalmology” , says Valérie Calenda, Managing Partner at Mérieux Equity Partners.
”The robotics platform developed by AcuSurgical aims to help retinal surgeons perform complex procedures more safely and reproducibly. We are very pleased to support this new venture and excellent team” says Celia Hart, General Partner at Supernova Invest.
About AcuSurgical - www.acusurgical.com
Founded in 2020, AcuSurgical is a surgical robotics company based in Montpellier (France). AcuSurgical's mission is to enable top-class treatment to the 300+ million patients suffering from retinal disease worldwide, a debilitating condition including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and macular holes. Worldwide, currently 1.6 million retinal surgeries are performed each year, with a yearly growth rate of 7%. This currently represents only a small percentage of actual cases, with the majority of patients, especially in emerging economies, getting inadequate treatment or often no treatment at all. The cutting-edge robotics platform from AcuSurgical aims to change this, bringing a new surgical paradigm to vitreo-retinal surgery based on precision robotics.
About Mérieux Equity Partners - www.merieux-partners.com
Mérieux Equity Partners (“MxEP”) is an investment company dedicated to capital investment in health and nutrition and registered with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). MxEP actively supports entrepreneurs and companies with differentiated products and services, giving them privileged access to its sector expertise and international network. MxEP currently manages around €670 million of assets and launched their latest venture capital fund in 2020, OMX Venture Fund, to finance high potential companies in the life science space, in Europe and North America.
About Supernova Invest - www.supernovainvest.com
Supernova Invest is a cutting-edge venture capital firm with a leading position in the French deeptech investment market. It manages and advises five capital funds for a total of €260 million AUM. Supernova Invest specializes in breakthrough technologies, developing start-ups in Industry, Health, Energy & Environment and Digital Technology sectors. Supernova Invest has a strong partnership with both the CEA (the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) and Amundi (the European leader in asset management).
The FPCI Supernova 2 is an early-stage investment fund managed by Supernova Invest. Its main investors are the Crédit Agricole, the Fond National d’Amorçage managed by Bpi France, the CEA, Michelin, BioMérieux, Vinci, EDF, CGG, UDIMEC as well as entrepreneurs and family offices.
About Sofimac Innovation - www.sofimacinnovation.com
Sofimac Innovation is an independent management company certified by the financial markets regulator (AMF) and dedicated to technological and innovative investment. Based in Paris, Lyon, Rennes and Marseille, Sofimac Innovation supports innovative start-up in their growth projects with a wide range of investment vehicles. Working in a wide variety of technological sectors, particularly in Health and Digital sectors, Sofimac Innovation is currently managing 9 Funds comprising around 90 active companies.
Pertinence Invest 2 is an investment Fund managed by Sofimac Innovation, raised in partnership with prestigious Universities and Schools and renowned industrial corporates. Pertinence Invest 2 is investing in breakthrough technologies in the Engineering Sciences and Health & Nutrition sectors.
About IRDI Capital Investissement - www.irdi.fr
Based in Toulouse, Montpellier, and Bordeaux, IRDI Capital Investissement has been a key player in private equity for more than 35 years, with an investment track record in companies located in the South-West of France and at all development stages. It manages more than €350 million spread across several funds, including IRDINOV 2 and INN’VEST PME OCCITANIE EST which were both leveraged to invest in AcuSurgical.
IRDINOV 2 - supported by the Fonds National d’Amorçage (FNA) - is a capital seed fund specialized in financing technological companies.
INN’VEST PME OCCITANIE EST is a co-investment fund supported by the European Investment Fund (EIF) and the Région Occitanie under the FOSTER TPE PME fund of funds.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210217005035/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
DCO Concludes LEAP 2026 with Partnerships and Digital Cooperation Milestones7.9.2026 21:48:00 CEST | Press release
The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) concluded its participation at LEAP 2026, during which the State of Palestine signed the DCO Charter, becoming a Signatory Member, and unveiled the Digital Prosperity Plan 2026–2028, co-developed with DCO to advance digital infrastructure and AI readiness, digital government, skills, startups, and SMEs. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907201316/en/ DCO Concludes LEAP 2026 with Partnerships and Digital Cooperation Milestones (Photo: AETOSWire) The signing followed the DCO Council’s earlier approval of eight candidate countries. Upon completion of accession procedures, DCO will expand from 16 to 24 Member States, representing approximately 980 million people and paving the way for a billion-strong voice for digital cooperation. Tajikistan is also on track to join the organization as an Associate Member, opening new opportunities to strengthen digital cooperation, acc
LR Health & Beauty Strengthens Its Management Team With Martin Lipp as New Chief Financial Officer (CFO)7.9.2026 15:36:00 CEST | Press release
The LR Health & Beauty GmbH, Europe’s leading social commerce company for high-quality nutritional supplements and beauty products, is strengthening its management team: effective 7 September 2026, Martin Lipp takes over as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and joins the Executive Management Team. In his new role, Martin Lipp will be responsible for Global Controlling & Finance, Legal, IT and Operations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907262360/en/ Martin Lipp, new CFO of the LR Group “With Martin Lipp, we are gaining a highly experienced international finance executive with extensive expertise in managing and transforming businesses. During the current transition phase, he will enrich the senior management in particular with his strong transformation expertise and excellent know-how in the areas of finance, operations and IT. Together, we will consistently drive forward the implementation of our strategy with
Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword Sells Over 1 Million Units on Launch Day!7.9.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
– Total series sales surpass 10 million units driven by this first new title in 20 years – Capcom Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:9697) today announced that worldwide sales of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the latest title in the series, have surpassed 1 million units on the first day of its release. Driven by the performance of this title, cumulative sales of the Onimusha series have now surpassed 10 million units. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907554827/en/ Onimusha: Way of the Sword key art Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which marks the first new title in the series in over 20 years, is a swordplay action game featuring protagonist Miyamoto Musashi that is set in Edo-era Kyoto. This title enhances the exhilarating sword-based action of the series with cutting-edge technology while also providing a compelling story and beautiful visual depictions. In addition, through several marketing initiatives prior to launch, such as
A2RL Sets New International Benchmark with Europe’s First Five-Car Autonomous Race7.9.2026 14:16:00 CEST | Press release
UAE team Kinetiz wins A2RL’s first race outside of Abu Dhabi during ACI Racing Weekend hosted on Imola’s iconic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino FerrariWatch the race HERE. The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) completed the first-ever multi-car autonomous race in Europe at the Imola Circuit in Italy on 5 September 2026, as part of ACI Racing Weekend. Kinetiz (UAE) won the League’s inaugural international race, across 12 laps of one of the most technically demanding circuits in world motorsport. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907943650/en/ A2RL Sets New International Benchmark with Europe’s First Five-Car Autonomous Race (Photo: AETOSWire) Organised by ASPIRE, the grand challenges arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), A2RL brings together key players across Abu Dhabi’s autonomous mobility ecosystem, with strategic oversight from the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council
Dubai Chambers to Train 14,000 Private Sector Companies in Agentic AI7.9.2026 12:15:00 CEST | Press release
Dubai Chambers has launched specialised Agentic AI training for more than 14,000 private sector companies, helping businesses build the skills needed to adopt the technology across their operations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907193930/en/ H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori speaking during the launch of the training programme (Photo: AETOSWire) The training forms part of Dubai’s wider programme to transition the private sector towards Agentic AI, launched under the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. Delivered through the new Dubai Chambers Academy, an integrated e-learning platform, the training provides practical guidance on applying Agentic AI in business. Participants will explore tools and solutions that can improve operations, effici
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom