Achmea Innovation Fund sells interest in Stroke2prevent
Stroke2prevent from Zwolle, active in the field of heart surgery, is going to spread its wings internationally. The company is supported by the medical wholesaler DeRoyal Healthcare from the United States. The Achmea Innovation Fund recently made it possible to register Stroke2prevent with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Now that the company is entering its next phase, the Achmea Innovation Fund is transferring its equity interest of approximately 20% in Stroke2prevent to Medical2market Participaties.
Stroke2prevent supplies the so-called A-view, a medical device in the shape of a balloon that has been developed to prevent strokes caused by heart surgery. and cardiac aortic valve replacements. This tool can visualize arteriosclerosis in the aorta so that the medical team can use this information to determine the correct surgical strategy. This life-saving innovation reduces the risk of mortality in these operations by more than 30%. DeRoyal Healthcare is convinced that the A-view can have an impact worldwide.
One-third fewer deaths
Hein Kemperman, Chief Financial Officer of Medical2market Participations: ”Scientific research shows conclusively that the safety check with A-View leads to a third fewer deaths after heart surgery. Hospitals that already work with it, such as the Isala hospital in Zwolle, can confirm this with practical figures. With 15,000 open heart surgeries per year in the Netherlands alone and a 5% chance of aortic detachment, the use of the A-View can prevent many hundreds of deaths and permanent disability from brain damage. Together with DeRoyal Healthcare as a global distributor, we will work to convince medical specialists, managers, health insurers and patients that the A-View should be used for any heart surgery. We do this based on the idea that quality care is important worldwide and preventing preventable damage should be a priority everywhere.”
Positive contribution made
Ben Dijk, investment manager of the Achmea Innovation Fund: “We are pleased that we have been able to contribute to the positive development of Stroke2prevent and thus to the prevention of deaths from heart surgery. We think that Medical2market Participaties and DeRoyal Healthcare are excellent parties for further expanding Stroke2prevent's activities and putting the A-view on the map worldwide.”
Achmea is the cooperative parent company of Centraal Beheer, Interpolis and Zilveren Kruis, among others. The Achmea Innovation Fund focuses on promising, fast-growing startups and scaleups, often based on emerging technologies. The fund provides growth capital to promising companies that are active in Achmea's strategic areas: health, mobility, housing and financial solutions for now, tomorrow and later. In terms of health, the fund mainly focuses on digital solutions for prevention and strengthening and bringing health closer. In addition to investing, the Achmea Innovation Fund expressly wants to build a long-term partnership with meaningful companies. The fund has an initial size of €100 million.
For more information:
Marco Simmers
Corporate spokesperson Achmea
Telephone 06 - 53 43 87 18