Boston-based Surgicure Technologies, a female-owned startup developing an endotracheal tube (ETT) to manage serious respiratory conditions, has raised $1.78 million in a seed round led by local firm Launchpad Venture Group. Other investors included Massachusetts firms BakerBridge Capital, SBXi, Beacon Angels (Boston) and SideCar Angels; TiE Angels, Stamford, Conn.-based Tidal River Fund, Gurtin Ventures and Sweden’s BBE Ventures.
Founded in 2019 by MIT and Harvard doctoral student Irena King, Surgicure plans to use the funding to accelerate the commercialization of its flagship Horseshoe product, designed to improve the quality and safety of patient care across diverse medical settings. An ETT, aka ET tube, is a hollow tube inserted into the trachea (windpipe) through the mouth or nose to help a person breathe, especially when they are unable to breathe on their own or need mechanical ventilation.
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“This investment marks a transformative moment for Surgicure Technologies,” said King, who has been featured in BostInno 25 Under 25. “The industry is poised for disruption as the current practices for securing life-sustaining breathing tubes often rely on flimsy tape, leading to potential complications such as cardiac arrest, brain damage, and a 30% rate of preventable deaths. Our breakthrough solution is designed to tackle these challenges head-on, driving substantial improvements in patient outcomes.”
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Surgicure’s Horseshoe is a variant of a device originally invented by army respiratory therapists. The patented device is more reliable than existing ones, and prevents facial pressure injuries, the company says. It not only “improves clinical outcomes but also offers cost savings and device versatility in critical care, burn/trauma scenarios, and during evacuation or transport,” Surgicure says.
“Surgicure’s technology addresses critical unmet medical needs, including preventing unintended and accidental extubations — a serious and preventable cause of complications and mortality,” said Ian Levine, managing director of Launchpad Venture Group. “We believe Surgicure has the potential to set a new standard of care, and we are excited to partner with their talented team to help make that vision a reality.”
King holds a BS in Neuroscience and Bioentrepreneurship from American University. Alongside her entrepreneurial venture, she has pursued a Medical Engineering and Medical Physics (MEMP) Ph.D. program in the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST), a joint venture between MIT, Harvard Medical School, and Boston area teaching hospitals. She is a classically trained pianist, competitive equestrian jumper and avid baker.
