CathNova receives CHF 40,000 from Venture Kick to advance neuromodulation therapy toward clinical validation
01.05.2026
CathNova receives CHF 40,000 from Venture Kick to advance its neuromodulation therapy for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia in ICU patients. By targeting the root cause of gastric aspiration, the technology aims to improve clinical outcomes and reduce complications in critically ill patients.
 CEO Thomas Niederhauser, CTO Gerhard Kuert, CSO Nishant Gupta, CMO Pramod Bonde, CBO Rigu Gupta
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What was the first real signal that your solution worked outside the lab or pitch deck, and what did that moment change for you?
The first real signal came during a meeting with Dr. Pramod Bonde from Yale at Swiss Medtech Day. That conversation helped translate our technology platform into a concrete clinical application.
Since then, feedback from clinicians, coaches, and investors has been very encouraging. It confirmed that our approach could make a real difference in improving outcomes for critically ill patients.
Can you briefly describe your project and where it stood when you entered Venture Kick?
CathNova is developing a neuromodulation therapy to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a common and serious complication in ICUs. By targeting the root cause, gastric aspiration, we aim to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
When we entered Venture Kick, our catheter platform had reached TRL 5, with successful preclinical in vivo results. We had secured three patents, established a quality management system, and built a collaboration with Yale School of Medicine.
How has the direction of your product/service/product strategy changed since working with the Venture Kick Team?
With Venture Kick’s support, we refined our focus toward a high-impact clinical use case. We strengthened the team, built an advisory board, and expanded market validation through our clinical network.
Discussions with key opinion leaders confirmed the strong unmet need and helped us further shape our product and positioning.
How will the Stage 2 funding help you advance your project concretely?
Over the next six months, Stage 2 funding will support key milestones, including market validation, regulatory and reimbursement strategy, and usability studies in ICU settings.
In parallel, we will advance product development and validation, moving toward FDA 510(k) approval for the US market.
The first real signal came during a meeting with Dr. Pramod Bonde from Yale at Swiss Medtech Day. That conversation helped translate our technology platform into a concrete clinical application.
Since then, feedback from clinicians, coaches, and investors has been very encouraging. It confirmed that our approach could make a real difference in improving outcomes for critically ill patients.
Can you briefly describe your project and where it stood when you entered Venture Kick?
CathNova is developing a neuromodulation therapy to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a common and serious complication in ICUs. By targeting the root cause, gastric aspiration, we aim to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
When we entered Venture Kick, our catheter platform had reached TRL 5, with successful preclinical in vivo results. We had secured three patents, established a quality management system, and built a collaboration with Yale School of Medicine.
How has the direction of your product/service/product strategy changed since working with the Venture Kick Team?
With Venture Kick’s support, we refined our focus toward a high-impact clinical use case. We strengthened the team, built an advisory board, and expanded market validation through our clinical network.
Discussions with key opinion leaders confirmed the strong unmet need and helped us further shape our product and positioning.
How will the Stage 2 funding help you advance your project concretely?
Over the next six months, Stage 2 funding will support key milestones, including market validation, regulatory and reimbursement strategy, and usability studies in ICU settings.
In parallel, we will advance product development and validation, moving toward FDA 510(k) approval for the US market.