SonoVascular wins Angel Capital Association 2025 Luis Villalobos Award

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., April 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SonoVascular, Inc., a clinical stage medical device company focused on bringing to market its SonoThrombectomy™ System, a safer and more effective treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), was awarded the Angel Capital Association's 2025 Luis Villalobos Award in the Life Science category at the Summit of Angel Investing conference in Denver, CO.

"We are honored to receive this significant award from the Angel Capital Association," said Daniel Estay, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SonoVascular. "This award provides recognition of the importance of both the clinical need and the transformative nature of our technology to treat VTE. We are very grateful for the support of our investors and advisors to make this award possible as we continue our mission."

The SonoThrombectomy™ System is a novel treatment solution intended to provide better outcomes for millions of patients suffering from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).  DVT is a condition that occurs when blood clots form in the deep veins of the leg, restricting blood flow back to the heart and causing pain and swelling. Additionally, if part of the clot breaks off, it can travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing a PE, which can be life threatening. To treat these conditions, the SonoThrombectomy System delivers ultrasound energy and microbubbles directly to the clot through the RESONATOR™ catheter, inducing microbubble-mediated cavitation, which mechanically breaks down the clot. A very low dose of thrombolytic drug is infused in combination with the microbubbles through the catheter to further improve clot breakdown. The System is designed to treat DVT and PE more safely and effectively, and at a lower cost to the health care system than currently approved therapies.

The ACA is the world's largest angel investor professional development organization, representing over 15,000 angels who invest individually or through 250+ angel organizations, online platforms, and family offices. ACA members collaborate with other early stage investors to identify prospective investments, conduct due diligence research, mentor and advise early-stage companies and enhance local startup ecosystems.

The Wolfpack Investor Network, LLC (WIN), a member of ACA and investor in SonoVascular, is NC State University's alumni-driven, early-stage investor group that nominated SonoVascular for the award. Abby Philips, WIN's Director, said: "SonoVascular exemplifies the potential of world-class research, talented founders, and mission-aligned investors. Their innovative technology and swift transition from the lab to the clinic showcases NC State's entrepreneurial ecosystem. We are proud to have supported the company from the start and to continue backing their progress, culminating in recognition with the 2025 ACA Luis Villalobos Award." 

About Venous Thromboembolism
As many as 900,000 VTE events occur each year in the United States.¹ One-third to one-half of people who have a DVT will have long-term complications caused by damage to the valves in the vein, called post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS).² In some cases, PTS symptoms can be so severe that a person becomes disabled. If part of the clot breaks off, it can travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. PE can be life-threatening, with 10-30% of individuals dying within one month of diagnosis.³

About SonoVascular, Inc.
SonoVascular's SonoThrombectomy™ System is a novel and highly differentiated ultrasound facilitated, thrombolytic enhanced thrombectomy system to treat venous and arterial thrombosis. The system utilizes microbubble-mediated cavitation as a core enabling mechanical mechanism of action to more safely and effectively treat VTE. It is a cathlab-based solution designed to maximize the reduction of clot burden, eliminate blood loss and vessel trauma, and harness the benefit of low dose/duration thrombolytic without bleeding risks. SonoVascular is headquartered in Chapel Hill, NC.

For more information, visit www.sonovascular.com.

Contact:

SonoVascular, Inc.
Daniel Estay
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]

¹ Gregson J, Kaptoge S, Bolton T, et al. Cardiovascular Risk Factors Associated With Venous Thromboembolism. JAMA Cardiol. 2019;4(2):163–173. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2018.4537.
² Wendelboe AM, Campbell J, McCumber M; Bratzler D; Ding K, Beckman M, Reyes N; Raskob G. The Design and Implementation of a New Surveillance System for Venous Thromboembolism using Combined Active and Passive Methods. American Heart Journal. 2015.
³ American Lung Association; https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pulmonary-embolism/learn-about-pulmonary-embolism#:~:text=Pulmonary%20embolism%20affects%20around%20900%2C000,that%20travel%20to%20the%20lungs

SOURCE SonoVascular, Inc.