WIN and Harbright Raise Over $1.75M for SonoVascular

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Raleigh, NC – October 29, 2024 – The Wolfpack Investor Network (WIN) and Harbright Ventures are excited to announce a follow-on investment of over $1.75M in SonoVascular, a medical technology company that has developed SonoThrombectomy™, a novel, pharmaco-mechanical, ultrasound-facilitated, and thrombolytic-enhanced thrombectomy system for venous thromboembolism (VTE). VTE encompasses both Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) and is the third most common cardiovascular disease, causing approximately 300K deaths annually in the US. 

Founded in 2018 and leveraging intellectual property licensed from NC State, SonoVascular’s system combines four key components—ultrasound, microbubbles, low-dose thrombolytic medications, and mechanical retrieval that helps resolve blood clots via delivery through an advanced intravascular catheter system. Designed to safely and effectively treat patients in the catheterization laboratory (cath lab), the SonoThrombectomy™ System maximizes clot reduction, minimizes thrombolytic dosage and vascular trauma, and eliminates blood loss, which improves patient safety and eliminates the need for expensive ICU care. 

Dr. Manuel Espíndola and Dr. Albrecht Krämer recently led SonoVascular’s first-in-human case at Hospital DIPRECA in Santiago, Chile. The clinical team has since successfully treated four additional DVT patients using the SonoThrombectomy™ System. 

“WIN’s investment and Harbright’s support allow us to continue pushing boundaries in treating life-changing and threatening conditions like DVT and PE,” said Daniel Estay, Founder and CEO of SonoVascular. “The capital provided by WIN and Harbright allows us to accelerate the development of our technology and bring it to patients needing safer and more effective treatment options for VTE.” 

SonoVascular’s team includes John Ranshaw and Hannah Flores, alumni of the joint NC State and UNC-CH BME MS-TRAIN program, which emphasizes biomedical product innovation and new ventures. Ranshaw also graduated from NC State’s Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (TEC) program, which first collaborated with joint BME faculty innovators Drs. Xiaoning Jiang and Paul Dayton to commercialize their technology. Jiang and Dayton serve as scientific advisors to SonoVascular. 

“It’s incredibly rewarding to witness the successful initiation of first-in-human trials for this groundbreaking technology,” said Lisa Chang, Director of Diligence for WIN and TEC Director. “This achievement is a testament to the strength of NC State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem in advancing early-stage technologies and WIN’s commitment to supporting SonoVascular’s mission to develop life-saving medical innovations. We are proud to be part of this crucial milestone and excited about the potential impact on patient outcomes.” 

The investment in SonoVascular represents another step forward for WIN in supporting NC State-affiliated startups and advancing NC State’s innovation and entrepreneurship mission.