Panakes Fund I

Panakes Fund I is an early-stage venture capital fund managed by Panakes Partners, an Italy-based firm founded in 2015. The fund focuses on investing in the life sciences and healthcare sectors across Europe and Israel, with particular emphasis on medical devices, diagnostics, and healthcare technology systems. Investments typically range from EUR 5 million to EUR 6 million. Leveraging a broad network of business contacts and extensive domain expertise, Panakes Partners aims to provide proactive portfolio management and foster relationships with selected industrial partners to support the growth of its portfolio companies.

Andrea Ballerini

Associate

Alessio Beverina

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Laura Brolis

Chief Financial Officer

Barbara Castellano

Partner

Lorenzo Giordano

CFO

Fabrizio Landi

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Giacomo Piccinini

Associate

Alessio Piuma

Investment Manager

Diana Saraceni

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Marco Sardina

Scientific Partner

Robbie Woodman

Partner

16 past transactions

Complement Therapeutics

Series A in 2023
Complement Therapeutics operates as a preclinical stage company. Complement Therapeutics develops a precision medicine diagnostic platform allowing it to stratify patients based on their complement-activation profile with the potential to enable both patient selection and serving as an efficacy biomarker in future clinical studies.

MMI

Series B in 2022
MMI S.r.l manufactures and develops micro instruments to support surgical interventions at a dimensional scale. The company develops wristed micro instruments and their fabrication process. The company also develops and offers robotic platform. The company's proprietary robotic platform and wristed micro instruments simplifies reconstruction procedures after traumatic injuries and after tumor removal in breast, head, and bones. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Calci, Italy.

Vivasure Medical

Series D in 2022
Vivasure Medical Limited is a medical device company based in Galway, Ireland, focused on the research, development, and manufacturing of arterial and venous closure devices utilizing its proprietary PerQseal technology. The company specializes in creating polymer implants and delivery systems aimed at facilitating minimally invasive vessel closures in cardiology, interventional radiology, and vascular surgery. Its flagship product is an absorbable patch-based large-bore percutaneous closure device, specifically designed to close large arteriotomies during transcatheter procedures like transcatheter aortic valve replacement and endovascular aneurysm repair. Established in 2008, Vivasure Medical aims to enhance patient outcomes in vascular access procedures through innovative medical solutions.

Diadem

Venture Round in 2022
Diadem Srl is a drug development company based in Brescia, Italy, focused on addressing Alzheimer's disease. Founded in 2012, the company is dedicated to advancing innovative therapeutic solutions aimed at predicting and treating this complex neurodegenerative condition. Through its research and development efforts, Diadem seeks to improve the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's, contributing to the broader fight against this challenging disease.

InnovHeart

Series C in 2022
InnovHeart s.r.l. manufactures transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) systems for the treatment of mitral valve disease. The company offers Saturn TMVR system a mitral heart valve designed for trans-apical or trans-septal delivery systems. InnovHeart s.r.l. was founded in 2015 and is based in Milan, Italy with an additional office in Newton, Massachusetts.

Salvia BioElectronics

Series A in 2020
Salvia BioElectronics B.V., founded in 2017 and based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, specializes in developing bioelectronic therapies for individuals with chronic neurological diseases. The company operates in the burgeoning field of bioelectronics, merging principles of biology and electronics to create innovative therapeutic solutions. The name "Salvia," derived from the Latin word for "to stay healthy," reflects the company's commitment to enhancing health and well-being. Salvia aims to deliver accessible bioelectronic treatments that address severe neurological disorders. The team comprises experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds in the medical device industry, including notable companies such as Medtronic and Philips, ensuring a strong foundation for the development of their cutting-edge technologies.

InnovHeart

Series B in 2020
InnovHeart s.r.l. manufactures transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) systems for the treatment of mitral valve disease. The company offers Saturn TMVR system a mitral heart valve designed for trans-apical or trans-septal delivery systems. InnovHeart s.r.l. was founded in 2015 and is based in Milan, Italy with an additional office in Newton, Massachusetts.

SamanTree Medical

Series A in 2019
SamanTree Medical SA is a Swiss company specializing in the development of innovative medical microscopy devices aimed at enhancing cancer treatment and surgical outcomes. Founded in 2014 and based in Ecublens, the company focuses on micro-optics-based digital microscopy systems that provide an extensive field of view for various applications, including research, diagnostics, and surgery. Its flagship product, a surgical digital microscope, enables real-time visualization of cellular structures within living tissue, facilitating precise assessment of tumor margins. This technology allows surgeons to achieve full margin control and make informed decisions during procedures, ultimately improving resection accuracy, reducing re-operation rates, and decreasing overall procedure costs. By enabling immediate visualization of cancerous cells during surgery, SamanTree Medical's devices significantly enhance patient care and outcomes in cancer surgery.

Endostart

Seed Round in 2018
Endostart is a developed a novel proprietary Magnetic Balloon Anchoring Technology.

CarThera

Series B in 2018
CarThera SAS specializes in the design and development of therapeutic ultrasound-based medical devices aimed at treating brain disorders. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Paris, France, the company has developed innovative devices such as SonoProbe, which addresses conditions like brain tumors, epilepsy, metastases, and meningioma. Another key product is SonoCloud, an intracranial ultrasound implant that temporarily opens the blood-brain barrier, enhancing the delivery and concentration of therapeutic molecules for the treatment of primary brain tumors. Through these advancements, CarThera is focused on improving treatment outcomes for patients with serious neurological conditions.

Aileens Pharma

Series A in 2018
The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the development of its platform of topical non-steroidal treatments for atopic dermatitis both in children and adults, as well as other types of dermatological disorders.

MMI

Series A in 2018
MMI S.r.l manufactures and develops micro instruments to support surgical interventions at a dimensional scale. The company develops wristed micro instruments and their fabrication process. The company also develops and offers robotic platform. The company's proprietary robotic platform and wristed micro instruments simplifies reconstruction procedures after traumatic injuries and after tumor removal in breast, head, and bones. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Calci, Italy.

Alesi Surgical

Venture Round in 2017
Alesi Surgical Ltd. specializes in developing and commercializing laparoscopic surgical smoke handling systems aimed at enhancing the safety and outcomes of surgical procedures. Founded in 2009 as a spin-out from the Welsh Institute for Minimal Access Therapy, the company has a strong connection to experienced surgeons and trainers, enabling it to identify and address challenges in surgical techniques. Alesi Surgical distributes its products to hospitals across Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, and Australia. Established in Cardiff, United Kingdom, the company was previously known as Asalus Medical Instruments Limited and has been operational since 2007.

Vivasure Medical

Series C in 2016
Vivasure Medical Limited is a medical device company based in Galway, Ireland, focused on the research, development, and manufacturing of arterial and venous closure devices utilizing its proprietary PerQseal technology. The company specializes in creating polymer implants and delivery systems aimed at facilitating minimally invasive vessel closures in cardiology, interventional radiology, and vascular surgery. Its flagship product is an absorbable patch-based large-bore percutaneous closure device, specifically designed to close large arteriotomies during transcatheter procedures like transcatheter aortic valve replacement and endovascular aneurysm repair. Established in 2008, Vivasure Medical aims to enhance patient outcomes in vascular access procedures through innovative medical solutions.

Seventeen

Series A in 2016
Seventeen is a medtech startup. The company intends to use the funds to finalize the technology and clinically validate it in order to obtain the CE mark.

Echolight

Series A in 2016
Echolight S.r.l. is a research-based biomedical company based in Lecce, Italy, founded in 2011. The company specializes in developing non-invasive solutions for the early diagnosis of osteoporosis. Its flagship product, EchoS, is a radiation-free ultrasound device that assesses bone micro-architecture and enables the scanning of central bone sites. This innovative technology allows for accurate evaluation of bone mineral density (BMD) and provides an office-based service for the early detection and monitoring of osteoporosis. Echolight aims to enhance accessibility and accuracy in bone health assessments, catering to the needs of both clinicians and patients.