Plexāā Attains New Funding for Breast Surgery Preconditioning Device Debut

Plexāā has closed a $4.5 million funding extension round to support the imminent U.S. launch of its wearable medical device for breast surgery, BLOOM⁴³. The funding also strengthens the company’s position ahead of a planned Series A fundraising round.

“I want to thank our team for the tremendous progress it has made to make this financing possible,” Plexāā Founder/CEO Dr. Saahil Mehta said. “Securing this funding validates confidence in our flagship technology and the concept of Supraphysiological PreconditioningÔ, and it energizes the team as we prepare to bring BLOOM⁴³ to a wider patient population in the U.S. and beyond. The funds will support this pivotal launch and market expansion, as well as the exciting development of our technology platform—including devices and apps targeting additional surgical specialties and creating a whole new category in surgery.”

Complication rates in breast surgeries, which can include infection, skin necrosis and the need for additional surgeries, have been recorded as high as 30%.¹ BLOOM⁴³ is the world’s first fully wearable medical device designed to help patients prepare for breast cancer surgery and reconstruction by harnessing the power of Supraphysiological PreconditioningÔ. The new technique safely and intermittently thermally preconditions the skin causing the release of heat-shock proteins that cause vasodilation and increased blood flow to the area. This process  has been shown to reduce wound healing complications in proof-of-concept clinical trials. 

Along with its BLOOM⁴³ companion app, the device has demonstrated substantial improvements in the patient experience and surgical readiness, harnessing the power of holistic PrehabilitationÔ and preconditioning. The company has already secured multiple partners for its upcoming U.S. commercial launch.

Plexāā Ltd has been backed by TCP Health Ventures, which led the seed round. This extension round was comprised of existing and new investors including TCP. Further investment includes more than $1.6 million in i4i grant funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and $1.3 million from Thena Capital, a London-based VC firm backed by the British Business Bank and focused on digital health and fast-tracked medtech.

“Since 2023, we’ve been closely tracking Plexāā’s progress and the development of its first device, Bloom⁴³. We couldn’t be more excited for Plexāā to become our first portfolio company for THENA Capital’s Fund I. The company is solving a critical and under-addressed challenge across the surgical pathway—reducing post-operative complications for patients which also addresses the impact to both providers and payers,” THENA Capital Founding General Partner Tatum Getty stated. “Saahil and his team bring together clinical, engineering, and operational expertise from some of the U.K.’s leading institutions. Their ambition to scale globally, beginning with an imminent commercial launch in the U.S., is exactly the kind of U.K. medtech leadership team we look to champion. Our fund’s commercialization support model is well-suited to help Plexāā expand into women’s health and adjacent categories where better outcomes and patient experiences are urgently needed.”

Plexāā plans to collaborate with clinicians, patients, and partners worldwide to make prehabilitation and preconditioning the standard of care for surgery and to deliver solutions that address unmet needs in surgical care.

Plexāā is a U.K. medtech company improving surgical outcomes through devices and digital products. Its flagship device, BLOOM⁴³, enables patients to supraphysiologically precondition their skin, potentially reducing the risk of wound healing complications such as infection and skin necrosis, which affect one in three women undergoing breast surgery. Plexāā is also exploring the application of this technology in other surgical fields, including obstetrics for C-sections, orthopedics for joint operations, and general and vascular surgery, with a commitment to improving pre-operative preparation for surgery and patient outcomes.

TCP Health Ventures is the healthcare investment arm of The Capital Partnership group of companies, a multi-asset investment company with $7 billion in assets under management. Headquartered in London, TCP Health Ventures manages $225 million in assets across more than 15 investments in the medtech space and has a decade of medtech investing experience.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) aims to improve the nation’s health and welfare through research. NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low- and middle- income countries is principally funded through U.K. international development funding from the U.K. government.

THENA Capital is a London-based venture capital firm backing the world’s next category-defining medical technologies. It invests in companies transforming care experiences through digital health, fast-tracked medical devices, and clinical-grade innovation. THENA’s debut Fund 1, focuses on high-impact, U.K.-founded technologies addressing unmet needs across women’s health, oncology, cardiovascular disease, chronic conditions, and care delivery. With deep clinical, regulatory and operational expertise, THENA Capital partners with founders to unlock international scale, navigate complex markets, and build enduring category leaders in global healthcare.

Reference
¹ Annals of Translational Medicine, Dec 2023, Management of complications following implant-based breast reconstruction: a narrative review, Dean H. Meshkin1^, Joseph M. Firriolo1, Nolan S. Karp2, Ara A. Salibian1.