Recornea is a startup innovating in the field of ophthalmic therapeutic solutions, currently engaged in the development of innovative therapeutic treatments targeting diseases of the cornea, with a focus on keratoconus, announces that it has received 150,000 euros from Scientifica Venture Capital as part of a total round of 700,000 euros .
Keratoconus is a degenerative disease that affects more than 2% of the world’s population causing thinning and weakening of the cornea, resulting in progressive vision loss. This condition usually arises during puberty and continues to progress into adulthood, affecting men and women equally. When keratoconus is present in an eye, the transparent dome-shaped layer covering the eye thins, creating an outward protrusion to form a cone.
Current standards of care involve intervening on early-stage keratoconus with corneal cross-linking, a procedure that uses ultraviolet light and a drug to strengthen the cornea and prevent further deformation, and on late-stage keratoconus with intracorneal ring segments (ICRSs), circular ring segments made of polymeric material, varying in diameter and thickness.
Recornea’s team has developed a technology that is able to restore the physiological curvature of the cornea, an element that represents a significant step forward from traditional corneal rings on the market. This is Grosso’s first nitinol corneal implant, which helps advanced keratoconus patients recover their vision.
The implant can be inserted into a patient’s cornea by conservative-additive refractive surgery that does not involve removal of corneal tissue.
Recornea’s goal is to significantly improve the quality of life for patients with keratoconus by providing advanced therapeutic solutions that can be easily integrated into daily clinical practice.
“Our investment in Recornea demonstrates Scientifica Venture Capital’s confidence in the potential of pioneering, minimally invasive technologies to protect and improve ocular health,” Riccardo D’Alessandri, managing partner of Scientifica Venture Capital, said in a note. We are proud to support such an innovative company with technology that can reshape the cornea in patients with corneal ectasia, giving them back an adequate quality of life and the ability to see the world around them again.”
“We are very pleased to have Scientifica Venture Capital as an Italian venture capital fund on board. Our startup was born in Singapore and immediately gained the trust of foreign investors such as Entrepreneur First and Health Wildcatters, who believed in our team and the high potential of our technology when there was not even pre-clinical data to support it yet,” says Emiliano Lepore founder of Recornea. In the Italian context we had, so far, encountered more caution from local funds regarding early stage investments. Instead, Scientifica Venture Capital, with an Italian soul and Anglo-Saxon mindset, believed in our technology and ability to execute, along with other investors such as B- Heroes, GFactor and Letizia Mansutti. In this fundraising phase, it was important for us to have the support of Paola Di Rosa, investor relations officer, who helped build a trusting relationship with them. Thanks to this investment, we are already in the clinical trial phase with very promising data, and we are planning the next series A round in 2025. We will, therefore, be able to continue with production, certification, and commercialization of our facility, as well as further develop research and development on glaucoma and biosynthetic cornea. Being able to count on the trust of venture capitalists like Scientifica, who believe in long time investment, becomes essential for a medtech company like ours.” (photo by v2osk on Unsplash)
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