Zurich-based MedTech startup KOVE Medical has closed a €1.7 million (CHF 1.6 million) to develop an implantable medical device designed to reduce the risk of preterm birth following foetal surgery, with the fresh capital set to support the company as it progresses towards First-in-Human studies.
The round was backed by a syndicate of angel investors.
CEO and co-founder Yannick Devaud said in a public statement: “Thanks for the team and our strong Angel investors team. Let’s go tackle health issues at the beginning of life!”
This financing comes amid continued investment in European medical-device companies in 2026.
EU-Startups has seen rounds including €83 million in private capital and grants for French implantable cardiac-device developer FineHeart, €62.5 million for Ireland’s minimally invasive treatment developer Neurent Medical, €20.5 million for Dutch-US vascular implant company Xeltis, €20 million for Belgian surgical-imaging startup SamanTree Medical and €2.2 million for Swedish catheter developer MedVasc.
In Switzerland, Lausanne-based Xsensio raised €6 million to advance its wearable biochemical-monitoring technology, providing a same-country comparator to KOVE medical.
These 2026 rounds account to approximately €194 million in disclosed MedTech financing.
KOVE Medical said in its announcement: “This is a crucial step forward for our company, and we are incredibly grateful for the strong support and trust from our syndicate of visionary angel investors.”
Founded in 2020 by Yannick Devaud and Kurt Ruffieux, KOVE Medical emerged from research involving the University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich.
The startup is focused on addressing one of the main complications associated with fetoscopy, a minimally invasive form of surgery that allows doctors to treat certain serious conditions affecting babies before birth. Conditions that can benefit from prenatal interventions include spina bifida, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
However, performing these procedures requires surgical instruments to pass through the uterine wall and amniotic sac. The resulting opening can weaken the foetal membrane and allow amniotic fluid to leak. In some cases, this can lead to a premature rupture of the membrane and, consequently, preterm birth.
This complication represents an important limitation for foetal surgery. Although fetoscopy offers doctors the possibility of addressing serious conditions before birth, the associated risk of membrane rupture can restrict both its use and the development of more complex prenatal interventions.
KOVE Medical is developing a device intended to close the opening created by surgical instruments once the foetal procedure has been completed. The implant is placed from inside the amniotic cavity and is designed to stabilise the membrane at the puncture site.
According to the company, the device is compatible with the entry ports already used in fetoscopic procedures, meaning surgeons would not need to make an additional puncture to close the membrane. KOVE also says the device can be positioned in less than five minutes.
The longer-term objective is to give surgeons a way to close the amniotic membrane after completing prenatal procedures, potentially reducing one of the risks that currently restricts broader use of foetal surgery.
Source: EU-Startups
