Michelson Diagnostics Announces £1.98 Million Financing
ORPINGTON, England, January 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Michelson Diagnostics, the UK based medical device company focused on multi-beam Optical Coherence Tomography ('OCT') technology, is delighted to announce the first closing of its Series A2 Financing. The round, which was oversubscribed, raised £1.98 million ($3.25million) from existing investors, led by Octopus Investments and supported by Catapult Venture Managers Ltd and London Business Angels, and several business angels.
The funds will be used for several purposes including expanding VivoSightTM sales in Germany, where the system was launched in mid-2011 and where it is reimbursed for use in the diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), the commonest skin malignancy. The Company will also invest further in the development of a compact, more portable second generation VivoSight System with an anticipated lower cost of manufacture and enhanced functionality. Part of the monies raised will be used to initiate US market access with a pilot clinical study planned. The Company believes that the US is the largest single market for the VivoSight system.
VivoSight is a medical imaging system, which uses Michelson Diagnostics world-leading, patented, multi-beam OCT technology to non-invasively view all the layers of the skin in great detail for the first time. VivoSight provides clinicians with real-time, high definition images of the skin through a fast, accurate and reliable imaging system. The Company's initial focus is in the diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancer ('NMSC'), which is the most common skin cancer with approximately 3.5 million new cases in the USA each year.[1]
VivoSight currently has regulatory clearance in Europe and Australia, and FDA 510(k) clearance in the US. Following the successful launch, use of VivoSight in Germany has grown rapidly, with more than 2,500 scan procedures performed by December 2013 at ten clinics. The Company is now entering the Australian and Swiss markets.
In addition, Michelson Diagnostics is the only Company generating Level 1 Clinical Evidence of the value of OCT in the diagnosis of NMSC. Interim data from the Company's prospective multi-centre study is very promising. Positive results from the trial are expected to accelerate the adoption of VivoSight as a diagnostic tool and to aid the Company in achieving reimbursement in the US and elsewhere. The trial is expected to complete in the first quarter of 2014 and full results will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, 21-24 March 2014, in Denver, Colorado.
Jon Holmes, Chief Executive Officer of Michelson Diagnostics, commented "I would like to thank our investors for their continued support; the completion of this financing concludes a year in which we have made real progress, especially in our market access in Germany. We now look forward to a very promising 2014 which will include the publication of Level 1 Clinical Evidence in the diagnosis of NMSC."
Simon Andrews, a member of the Ventures team at Octopus Investments, said: "The team at Michelson Diagnostics has really impressed us over the past eighteen months. The market for non-invasive therapy is developing and we are very pleased to see the promising early results of the multi-centre study which should accelerate the adoption of VivoSight. The business has made excellent progress to date and we are excited about the next stage of its growth and development."
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1. M. A. Rogers Hw Fau - Weinstock, A. R. Weinstock Ma Fau - Harris, M. R. Harris Ar Fau - Hinckley, S. R. Hinckley Mr Fau - Feldman, A. B. Feldman Sr Fau - Fleischer, B. M. Fleischer Ab Fau - Coldiron, et al., "Incidence estimate of nonmelanoma skin cancer in the United States, 2006," 20100316 DCOM- 20100413.
Michelson Diagnostics was advised by Catalysis Capital Partners Limited and Edwards Wildman Palmer UK LLP and Octopus Investment were advised by Shoosmiths LLP.
For further information
Michelson Diagnostics
Jon Holmes, Chief Executive Officer
Tel: +44-(0)20-8308-1695
FTI Consulting
Simon Conway / Mo Noonan / Victoria Foster Mitchell
Tel: +44-(0)20-7831-3113
FieldHouse Associates (for Octopus Investments)
Cordelia Meacher
Tel: +44-(0)7961-311080
Notes to editors
About Michelson Diagnostics and the VivoSight System
Michelson Diagnostics has developed a world-leading medical imaging technology, known as multi-beam Optical Coherence Tomography ('OCT'), that uses an advanced laser scanner to 'see' into tissue with unprecedented image resolution and quality of image. Multi-beam OCT has many potential clinical applications, but we are currently focusing on dermatology.
Our vision is for our VivoSight OCT system to become the standard of care for the non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of certain diseases and conditions that affect cutaneous and epithelial linings of the body. We currently generate revenues from our first commercial application of VivoSight which is in the diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).
VivoSight has regulatory clearance in Europe, USA and Australia, for use by trained clinicians in their assessment of the patient's medical condition. We have launched VivoSight in Germany where the VivoSight scan is reimbursed for patients with private healthcare insurance.
The Company, based in Orpington, Kent, was founded in 2006 and has 18 employees. It has sales offices in Germany and USA. It has been supported through funding from a syndicate of Venture Capital, corporate and private investors including Octopus, Catapult Ventures and Angel Investors.
For more information about Michelson Diagnostics, see http://www.michelsondiagnostics.com.
About Octopus Investments
Founded in 2000, Octopus is one of the UK's fastest growing investment management companies. We currently manage £3 billion of assets on behalf of 50,000 customers. We offer a straight-talking approach to investments, exceptional customer service and a range of products that do what they say they will.
The Ventures team at Octopus
The Ventures team at Octopus are straight talking human investors that back talented people rather than specific sectors. We focus on identifying fast growth businesses which can scale explosively to create, transform or dominate an industry. We can invest from £250,000 to £5 million and prefer to partner teams based in the UK.
The work of our Ventures team is supported by access to the Octopus Venture Partners, a network of approximately 100 outstanding business leaders, entrepreneurs and private investors providing an invaluable wealth of expertise and resource for our portfolio companies, as well as investing on a deal-by-deal basis alongside Octopus venture funds. This blend of knowledge and skill has allowed us to help many great companies across several sectors thrive in recent years, including: Zoopla; graze.com; SwiftKey; and Secret Escapes.
For more information visit http://www.octopusinvestments.com.
About Catapult Venture Managers Ltd
Catapult Venture Managers Ltd is a leading private equity fund manager with one of the largest investment teams in the Midlands operating from offices in Birmingham and Leicester. With £80m in funds under its management Catapult seek equity investment opportunities from £200k to £2m in growing businesses.
Contact details for Catapult
e: [email protected]
t: +44-(0)121-616-0180 (Birmingham) or +44-(0)116-238-8200 (Leicester)
About London Business Angels
London Business Angels is one of the oldest, most respected and successful Business Angel Investment Networks in the UK and indeed Europe. Since 1982 we have been connecting high growth small and medium sized enterprises with investment through our network of experienced and discerning business angel investors.
Our highly experienced management team are established leaders in the development of new angel-led early stage investment initiatives, and are able to leverage nearly 30 years investment experience. The team are supported by a board of leading international players from finance, Angel Investment, Venture Capital and Business.
London Business Angels is a founding member of the UK Business Angels Association, the industry's best practice trade association. LBA is also a member of EBAN, the European Business Angels Network.
London Business Angels is part of the Angel Capital Group, focusing on providing both investment and knowledge to high growth businesses.
Contact details for London Business Angels
e: [email protected]
t: +44-(0)20-7321-5672
SOURCE Michelson Diagnostics
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