Medics, a young Turin-based company operating in the field of 3D anatomical modelling applied to surgical planning, closes a €3 million financing round led by Rif-T, an investment vehicle managed by Equiter and dedicated to the financial support of innovative scale-up companies.
In addition to Rif-T, which has underwritten commitments of up to €2 million including a capital increase and shareholder financing, the round also sees the participation of Intesa Sanpaolo with the disbursement of a medium-term bank loan of EUR 1 million. The capital obtained will be invested, over the next three years, in the development of innovative software that, through computer vision and machine learning algorithms, will make it possible to obtain high-fidelity interactive 3D reconstructions of the anatomy of any patient (Hyper Accuracy 3D®) and of any anatomical district.
Medics, a former start-up incubated at I3P, was founded with a very precise objective: to make surgery safer and less invasive. To achieve this goal, the company has specialised in the creation of three-dimensional anatomical reproductions that are used by doctors to better plan precision surgery: when a patient has to undergo a particularly complex operation, Medics processes the reconstruction of the anatomical part concerned, so that the surgeon can practise by simulating the operation on the model before entering the operating theatre, and then review all the steps studied during surgery. This approach drastically reduces the risk of unforeseen complications and infections, both during and after the surgery.
A year of strong development
Today's promising product development comes at the same time as the company has entered into a commercial partnership with a major multinational medical company, which will become the distributor of Medics products in Europe and around the world for certain surgical specialities.
The Digital Health market is constantly growing, both in Italy and abroad: 2021 was a record year in terms of investments in this sector and further steps forward are expected in 2022. Among the main trends, a prominent place undoubtedly belongs to Artificial Intelligence: solutions based on the use of AI are in fact capable of directing diagnoses, prevention and treatment paths, involving the players in the sector (doctors, patients, treatment facilities, local institutions). Already in 2020, the total value of AI solutions in healthcare was €6.7 billion, with a strong acceleration expected in the coming years.
Within this scenario, the Medics AI project aims to provide high-value added support to complex surgeries. To date, the company's three-dimensional anatomical reconstructions, created using Hyper Accuracy 3D® (HA3D®), reproduce the anatomy of the individual patient in great detail under the supervision of a specialised team of biomedical engineers on staff. The gradual introduction of AI into the process will significantly speed up processing times and increase the number of reconstructions.
The future of the project
"This important operation contains several elements of value for the future of the company. First and foremost, it undoubtedly represents one of the key milestones in Medics' strategic plan for growth and international expansion: thanks to the investments that will be made in R&D, internal production processes will be optimised and speeded up, concretely supporting the scale-up process," said Andrea Andolfi, CEO of Medics. "At the same time, this development will make it possible to expand the usability of 3D technology in an increasing number of surgical specialties, thanks to greater flexibility and availability of HA3D® reconstructions even in the intra-operative context. In addition, the entry of a partner such as Equiter - through the Rif-T fund - as well as giving prestige to the company, can only structurally strengthen the solidity of the project and broaden the vision of its potential."
"This transaction represents an opportunity for Equiter to invest, through the Rif-T fund, in a promising company in the area, strongly rooted in Turin and with the potential to contribute to supporting the work of surgical teams of excellence, both nationally and internationally," commented Carla Patrizia Ferrari, CEO of Equiter. "The technology developed and the sector of reference are also at the heart of some of the key strategic axes of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, such as the digital transformation of the Public Administration and the innovation of the technological equipment of the National Health Service, areas of particular priority at this historic moment. Finally, business development will be accompanied by the attraction of highly specialised personnel, with the inclusion of young talents with skills in the biomedical and digital fields."
"The capital increase of Medics makes us very happy for the growth path that the company has brilliantly carried out since its entry into our incubator," added Giuseppe Scellato, President of I3P. "At the end of 2019, we awarded it as I3P's Startup of the Year for its market potential, proving how essential its service is in the surgical and medical field in general. The increasing focus on innovative solutions in medicine allows young realities of excellence like Medics to be evaluated with great attention and interest, both by investors and by Italian and international healthcare facilities."