A New Zealand medtech developing a portable scanner to detect stroke at the bedside has raised NZ$7.28m (A$6.2m) in a first close of its pre-Series A round.
Wellumio is developing a portable neuroimaging device designed to enable rapid, point-of-care stroke detection, when early treatment can improve outcomes.
The technology, called Axana, aims to identify acute stroke during the critical golden hour, the short period after a stroke when prompt treatment is most likely to reduce disability and improve recovery.
Stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disability, yet fewer than five per cent of patients currently receive treatment within this window.
The funding will be used to build out the team and capacity, advance clinical development, refine Axana for scalable manufacturing and support ongoing clinical evaluation. The pre-Series A round remains open.
The raise was led by Nuance Connected Capital, with support from Icehouse Ventures, NZ Growth Capital Partners’ Aspire Seed Fund, Pacific Channel, Booster and Cure Kids Ventures.
Angel groups Flying Kiwi and Enterprise Angels also participated, alongside international investors through the New Zealand Government’s Active Investor Plus programme and retail investors via Snowball Effect.
Wellumio co-founder and chief executive Dr Shieak Tzeng said: “With this funding, we will build our team and capacity and accelerate key clinical milestones to advance our portable, AI-enhanced MRI-based brain imaging technology along the clinical-commercial pathway, to bring faster, bedside stroke diagnosis closer to real-world emergency care when every second counts.
“We’re encouraged by the continued interest from investors who share our long-term vision as we build the company’s next phase.”
