Life Science Intelligence

Under the direction of Co-Founder and Co-CEO Eldrick Millares, Illuminant Surgical is developing a new way for physicians to see into the human body during procedures by projecting patient-specific anatomy directly onto the skin. By combining artificial intelligence, computer vision, and dynamic projection mapping, the company is working toward a single mission: X-ray vision for the body. Origin Story Illuminant Surgical was founded by Millares and his co-founder and Co-CEO, James Hu, MD, whose relationship dates back to their freshman year at Stanford, where they were dormmates. Their complementary backgrounds became the foundation of the company. Millares is an electrical engineer by training, with experience at the intersection of hardware and software. “I started working in LiDAR sensors for self-driving cars,” he said, referencing his early career in autonomous vehicle technology. He later spent time at Apple, working on the M-series chips for iPhone and Mac. Hu brings the clinici...

The opening days of 2026 have already delivered early signals worth paying attention to. Within the first ten days of the year, two notable medtech acquisitions were announced, both centered on cardiovascular technologies and both targeting markets with strong procedural growth and long-term strategic relevance. While it is far too early to draw definitive conclusions about where deal activity will land by year end, these transactions provide useful insight into how strategics are thinking about portfolio expansion, competitive positioning, and technology differentiation as the new year begins. Below, we break down the numbers, the markets, and the strategic rationale behind the first medtech acquisitions of 2026. Early Medtech Acquisitions Signal Strategic Intent in 2026 W. L. Gore & Associates to Acquire Conformal Medical W. L. Gore & Associates announced it will acquire Conformal Medical, a clinical-stage company developing the CLAASⓇ AcuForm™ System for left atrial appe...

As 2025 comes to a close, Affluent Medical announced a transaction that meaningfully reshapes its trajectory. The clinical-stage French medtech company shared plans to acquire Caranx Medical and Artedrone and combine all three businesses into a new company called Carvolix. If you missed the announcement during the final weeks of the year, the deal is worth a closer look. It brings together mini-robotic, AI, and implant technologies that aim to transform heart valve replacement and emergency stroke care. Below, we break down what happened and why the numbers behind this consolidation matter. What Was Announced Affluent Medical will acquire Caranx Medical for €16.6 million and Artedrone for €11.4 million. Both transactions are being completed through the issuance of new Affluent shares and include potential earn-out payments tied to future milestones. Once the transactions close, the three companies will operate together as Carvolix. Each business contributes a distinct capability: Cara...

In November, Microbot Medical reached a meaningful milestone in the evolution of endovascular robotics, announcing that Emory University Hospital in Atlanta has become the first hospital worldwide to use the company’s LIBERTY system for patient care. Microbot is currently operating under a limited commercial release following FDA clearance, with a broader market launch planned for April 2026 at the Society of Interventional Radiology conference. While still early, the move signals growing confidence that robotic assistance inside the vasculature is beginning to transition from concept to clinical reality. To understand why this matters, it helps to step back and examine the numbers behind the endovascular robotics market and how Microbot’s approach fits into a rapidly evolving competitive landscape. Defining the Endovascular Procedure Landscape Endovascular procedures encompass any intervention performed from within a blood vessel. In practical terms, this includes coronary, periphe...

In a successful week for the medical technology companies in the LSI Alumni community, we saw LSI Alumni secure new funding, enter new partnerships, receive regulatory clearances, and much more on the road to LSI USA ’26 in Dana Point (March 16–20). AliveCor Received FDA clearance for the next generation of its KAI 12L AI technology for the Kardia 12L ECG system, expanding its capabilities to 39 cleared cardiac determinations. The update adds five new determinations, further broadening the diagnostic reach of AliveCor’s portable, AI-powered 12-lead ECG technology. AtaCor Medical Entered a collaboration with Abbott to advance a next-generation investigational extravascular implantable cardioverter defibrillator (EV-ICD) system. The partnership will pair AtaCor’s Atala parasternal EV-ICD lead with Abbott’s investigational ICD platform, aiming to deliver lifesaving defibrillation therapy without placing hardware inside the heart or vasculature, potentially reducing long-term lead-related...

On December 30, 2025, Biobeat Technologies, Ltd. announced the closing of a $50 million Series B equity financing led by new investors Ally Bridge Group, OrbiMed, and Elevage Medical, with participation from a strategic investor. Proceeds from the funding will be used to expand commercialization in the United States. Origin Story Biobeat was founded in 2016 with a straightforward but ambitious idea: continuous vital-sign monitoring should not be confined to bulky bedside equipment or invasive procedures. The company was founded in Israel by Arik Ben Ishay, Johanan May, and Israel Sarussi, bringing together backgrounds in emergency medicine, IoT systems, and advanced optical sensing. The founding insight came from firsthand exposure to acute and remote-care environments, where vital signs were often measured intermittently, manually, or too late to prevent deterioration. Ben Ishay’s experience as a volunteer paramedic highlighted a recurring problem: clinicians were forced to make decis...