Northern Vascular raises C$2M to bring light-activated embolic tech to clinical trials
What's the deal? Northern Vascular Systems (NVS), a Toronto-based medical device company, has raised over C$2 million in an early-stage round led by Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners (TIAP). The money will fund clinical trials of its lead product for chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH).
What's the endgame? NVS is building a light-activated liquid embolic platform that gives physicians on-demand control over embolization procedures. It combines a photo-curable hydrogel, a light-emitting microcatheter, and a light activation system.
How it works: Unlike conventional embolic agents that solidify immediately, the NVS material stays liquid until activated by light. That lets it conform to complex vascular anatomies before solidifying, and it is designed to be biocompatible and absorbable over time.
The technology originated at Sunnybrook Research InstituteDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and the University of Toronto, both TIAP member institutions. It has shown promising results in preclinical studies and is now moving toward first-in-human trials.
Why now? cSDH affects hundreds of thousands of patients globally each year and is increasingly tied to aging populations. It is one of the fastest-growing neurological disorders worldwide.
"TIAP's investment provides critical support as we enter clinical trials for our first indication," said Joel Ramjist, chief executive officer and co-founder of NVS. He added that TIAP's backing "has helped attract significant additional investment."
NVS was co-founded by Ramjist, chief technology officer Yuta Dobashi, neurosurgeon Dr. Victor Yang, and Dr. Konrad Walus. TIAP's Dr. Sohaib Siddiqui will join the NVS board.
The signal: The round reflects growing momentum around minimally invasive embolization as a treatment for neurovascular conditions, and the university-to-startup pathway that Canadian health innovation programs like TIAP are designed to support.
Read more: Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners
