SamanTree Medical SA raises 4.5M CHF in Series A financing
13.01.2015
SamanTree Medical, a digital microscopy company developing advanced fresh-tissue microscopy scanners, announced on January 12th, 2015, that it had raised CHF 4.5 million from private investors in a Series A Financing round. A few years ago, the founders of the startup flew to Boston with the venture leaders USA program and benefited a lot from this experience. They are also venture kick alumni.
 |
 |
“The funding will enable us to accelerate the development and commercialization of SamanTree’s advanced intra-operative digital pathology scanner, for rapid and convenient assessment of cancer tissue during oncologic surgeries, resulting potentially in a higher rate of complete cancer cure, and reduction of reoperations“, said Dr. Davor Kosanic, CEO of SamanTree Medical.
A state-of-art microscopy technology developed at EPFL
The financial resources will be used to advance SamanTree Medical’s leading-edge fresh tissue scanner development through clinical pathway, regulatory approvals and industrialization. SamanTree Medical´s microscopy technology is based on several years of research and development at the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). The fresh-tissue scanner technology allows surgeons to establish a direct communication channel to pathologists and obtain an ultra-rapid histopathological assessment of cancer tissue during the surgery, with the aim to improve surgical workflow, treatment decisions and resection accuracy, while potentially reducing the re-operation rates and assuring patients of total cancer removal.
The investors and innovators additionally appointed Ms Malgosia Iwankowska and Mr. Jan Dekker as members of the Board of Directors. “I am very pleased and proud of having such high profile executives directly involved with SamanTree Medical. They bring a wealth of experience with strategic planning and operations in the medical devices industry both in Europe and in the U.S. This is an invaluable asset for the continuing development of the company” says Dr. Bastien Rachet, CTO of SamanTree Medical.
A key experience in Boston with the venture leaders USA
Davor Kosanic was a venture leader USA in 2012 and his experience represents an important milestone in the history of SamanTree: “Although we were pretty early stage and it was too early for us to enter the US market at the time, we benefited from high-level courses on entrepreneurship such as the Babson College course with Ed Marram. The networking aspect was also very important: We were able to make a lot of US investors’ contacts, which we used back in Switzerland. Most importantly, this 10 days business development program in Boston gave us the opportunity to share our experience and questions about the entrepreneur’s life with other Swiss start-up founders.” A nice story: Bastien Rachet, CTO of SamanTree Medical, was also a venture leader USA in 2010: “We have been able to share a lot about our experience”, explains Davor Kosanic.
Great learnings thanks to venture kick
SamanTree is also a venture kick alumnus. Its co-founders benefited from hands-on execution bootcamps, the kickers camps, from the early days. “I learned a lot. I realize now, you can only grow outside the comfort zone”, says Davor Kosanic. “venture kick really helped us to put our idea on the market. We are very happy to see that our investors trust us; we will now be able to move on to the next steps of our development”.
More about SamanTree Medical
SamanTree Medical SA is a digital microscopy company and spin-off of the EPFL (CH). SamanTree develops fresh-tissue microscopy scanners, with the mission to enable point-of-care digital pathology for complete tumor resection guidance. Early-stage cancer diagnosis and subsequent complete surgical resection of the tumor compose the therapy with highest chances for cancer free. SamanTree’s mission is to enable intra-operative digital pathology, to improve surgical workflow, treatment decisions and resection accuracy, while potentially reducing the re-operation rates and cutting the overall cost of procedures. The digitization of the intra-operative pathological examination has the potential to establish PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) as standard for pathology.
Meet the team of SamanTree Medical:
About Dr. Davor Kosanic: Davor Kosanic has been leading the SamanTree since 2010. Raising approx. CHF 1 million in non-diluting research grants and approx. CHF 0.5 of seed financing, he has previously secured the necessary financing for the initial developments of the SamanTree product. A series of entrepreneurship and business courses by IMD, CTI, USI, Babson College, Venturelab and EPFL have enabled Davor with the basic skills to lead SamanTree Medical and develop the early business aspects. Davor holds a PhD in Life Sciences (2009, EPFL -Lausanne, Switzerland) and a Master’s degree in Physics (2005, University of Duisburg -Duisburg, Germany).
About Dr. Bastien Rachet: Since early 2010 Bastien Rachet is actively working on the development of SamanTree’s core technology towards market applications, which inspired the common vision with Davor Kosanic for SamanTree Medical. Working since 2003 in the R&D environment, Bastien has specialized in applied optics for fluorescence microscopy. He holds a Master degree in Optical Engineering and Photonics (2003, Ecole Supérieure d’Optique - Paris, France) and a PhD in Biophotonics (2007, CEA/Minatec - Grenoble).
About Malgosia Iwankowska: Malgosia Iwankowska has been active in the field of medical devices for over 25 years, and brings extensive experience in sales, marketing, training and clinical trials in Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Malgosia held various senior management positions in these fields with companies like Medtronic, Edwards Lifesciences and Johnson&Johnson, as well as with fast growing start-up companies like Computer Motion, Sensimed and KB Medical. She is also a Co-founder & Partner at TerionSuisse.
About Jan Dekker: Jan Dekker looks back on a career in the International Tax Practice for over 35 years and was until 2009 a Senior International Tax Partner in KPMG Meijburg in the Netherlands. Jan acts as informal investor and BOD member in a number of companies in various fields of activities and he will enforce the Board of Directors of SamanTree Medical with his experience.
A state-of-art microscopy technology developed at EPFL
The financial resources will be used to advance SamanTree Medical’s leading-edge fresh tissue scanner development through clinical pathway, regulatory approvals and industrialization. SamanTree Medical´s microscopy technology is based on several years of research and development at the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). The fresh-tissue scanner technology allows surgeons to establish a direct communication channel to pathologists and obtain an ultra-rapid histopathological assessment of cancer tissue during the surgery, with the aim to improve surgical workflow, treatment decisions and resection accuracy, while potentially reducing the re-operation rates and assuring patients of total cancer removal.
The investors and innovators additionally appointed Ms Malgosia Iwankowska and Mr. Jan Dekker as members of the Board of Directors. “I am very pleased and proud of having such high profile executives directly involved with SamanTree Medical. They bring a wealth of experience with strategic planning and operations in the medical devices industry both in Europe and in the U.S. This is an invaluable asset for the continuing development of the company” says Dr. Bastien Rachet, CTO of SamanTree Medical.
A key experience in Boston with the venture leaders USA
Davor Kosanic was a venture leader USA in 2012 and his experience represents an important milestone in the history of SamanTree: “Although we were pretty early stage and it was too early for us to enter the US market at the time, we benefited from high-level courses on entrepreneurship such as the Babson College course with Ed Marram. The networking aspect was also very important: We were able to make a lot of US investors’ contacts, which we used back in Switzerland. Most importantly, this 10 days business development program in Boston gave us the opportunity to share our experience and questions about the entrepreneur’s life with other Swiss start-up founders.” A nice story: Bastien Rachet, CTO of SamanTree Medical, was also a venture leader USA in 2010: “We have been able to share a lot about our experience”, explains Davor Kosanic.
Great learnings thanks to venture kick
SamanTree is also a venture kick alumnus. Its co-founders benefited from hands-on execution bootcamps, the kickers camps, from the early days. “I learned a lot. I realize now, you can only grow outside the comfort zone”, says Davor Kosanic. “venture kick really helped us to put our idea on the market. We are very happy to see that our investors trust us; we will now be able to move on to the next steps of our development”.
More about SamanTree Medical
SamanTree Medical SA is a digital microscopy company and spin-off of the EPFL (CH). SamanTree develops fresh-tissue microscopy scanners, with the mission to enable point-of-care digital pathology for complete tumor resection guidance. Early-stage cancer diagnosis and subsequent complete surgical resection of the tumor compose the therapy with highest chances for cancer free. SamanTree’s mission is to enable intra-operative digital pathology, to improve surgical workflow, treatment decisions and resection accuracy, while potentially reducing the re-operation rates and cutting the overall cost of procedures. The digitization of the intra-operative pathological examination has the potential to establish PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) as standard for pathology.
Meet the team of SamanTree Medical:
About Dr. Davor Kosanic: Davor Kosanic has been leading the SamanTree since 2010. Raising approx. CHF 1 million in non-diluting research grants and approx. CHF 0.5 of seed financing, he has previously secured the necessary financing for the initial developments of the SamanTree product. A series of entrepreneurship and business courses by IMD, CTI, USI, Babson College, Venturelab and EPFL have enabled Davor with the basic skills to lead SamanTree Medical and develop the early business aspects. Davor holds a PhD in Life Sciences (2009, EPFL -Lausanne, Switzerland) and a Master’s degree in Physics (2005, University of Duisburg -Duisburg, Germany).
About Dr. Bastien Rachet: Since early 2010 Bastien Rachet is actively working on the development of SamanTree’s core technology towards market applications, which inspired the common vision with Davor Kosanic for SamanTree Medical. Working since 2003 in the R&D environment, Bastien has specialized in applied optics for fluorescence microscopy. He holds a Master degree in Optical Engineering and Photonics (2003, Ecole Supérieure d’Optique - Paris, France) and a PhD in Biophotonics (2007, CEA/Minatec - Grenoble).
About Malgosia Iwankowska: Malgosia Iwankowska has been active in the field of medical devices for over 25 years, and brings extensive experience in sales, marketing, training and clinical trials in Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Malgosia held various senior management positions in these fields with companies like Medtronic, Edwards Lifesciences and Johnson&Johnson, as well as with fast growing start-up companies like Computer Motion, Sensimed and KB Medical. She is also a Co-founder & Partner at TerionSuisse.
About Jan Dekker: Jan Dekker looks back on a career in the International Tax Practice for over 35 years and was until 2009 a Senior International Tax Partner in KPMG Meijburg in the Netherlands. Jan acts as informal investor and BOD member in a number of companies in various fields of activities and he will enforce the Board of Directors of SamanTree Medical with his experience.