1.4 million series A financing of Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH: new kind of diagnosis tool for glaucoma therapy shortly before market launch

Hanover-based Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH distinguishes itself with innovative medical technology and will soon be executing the market launch of a promising system for monitoring the chronic eye disease of glaucoma. In a first closing round, Hannover Beteiligungsfonds, High-Tech Gründerfonds and a group of private investors are investing approx. €1.4 m in the young medical technology company.

Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH has developed a new kind of system that makes it possible to continuously measure the intraocular pressure of glaucoma patients. This enables early diagnosis of the disease for protecting patients against blindness. This new type of telemedical diagnosis tool will eliminate the need for frequent doctor visits, because they are consequently no longer absolutely necessary.

The IOP system consists of a minimally invasive micro-sensor and a hand-held unit. Patients can thereby easily measure their intraocular pressure at home as often as they wish. Patients and doctors alike are convinced by the easy and safe handling and acceptance of the IOP system was already high during the test phase. This is because the precise and constant monitoring of intraocular pressure is expected to yield initial therapy successes after only a brief period of use. Moreover, patients feel safe and well looked after with the system, even outside the medical practice. When the IOP system is used continuously, the therapy can be entirely adapted to the patient’s individual needs. As a further consequence, there is little danger of either excessive or insufficient medication.

The company has already begun the CE approval process, carried out the first implantations and expects market entry in the next 12 to 18 months. Health professionals worldwide have expressed great interest in employing the IOP system and globally represented companies are also becoming increasingly interested in possible partnerships.

“With the first closing round of €1.4 m we have laid the foundation for the continued expansion of the company,” said Max G. Ostermeier, co-founder and Managing Director of IOP. “In the first quarter of 2012 we will be raising at least another €800,000 of new money, specifically in order to implement complementary product lines and to press ahead with internationalization,” added Ostermeier. Talks with possible investors for a second closing round are said to be at an advanced stage and the closing round should be completed by the end of March 2012, stated Max G. Ostermeier.

“We are happy that, with seed financing from High-Tech Gründerfonds and Hannover Innovations Fonds, the Implandata team has succeeded in reaching major milestones such as the first implantations and getting other investors excited,” added Dr. Matthias Dill, responsible Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds.

Glaucoma is a common and chronic eye disease where increased intraocular pressure leads to irreversible damage to the optic nerve and ultimately to blindness of the patient. Present diagnostic methods permit only inadequate monitoring of intraocular pressure, which is why the primarily pressure-lowering treatment methods frequently fail.

Contact Implandata:
Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH
Max G. Ostermeier
Vahrenwalder Straße 7
30165 Hannover
Phone: +49 511 – 9357213
Fax: +49 511 – 9357217
mostermeier@implandata.com

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests EUR 500,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the KfW Banking Group, as well as twelve industrial groups of ALTANA, BASF, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE Color, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gruenderfonds has about EUR 560.5 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million EUR HTGF I, EUR 288.5 million HTGF II).

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Matthias Dill
Investment Manager
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn
Phone: +49 228 823001-00
Fax: +49 228 823000-50
info@high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
https://www.htgf.de/