Cardiovate

Cardiovate Inc. operated as a medical technology company with a strategic focus on developing next-generation solutions for tissue regeneration and repair, particularly for damaged or diseased vasculature. The company was founded in 2012, originating from research conducted at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the UT Health Science Center. The founding team included Jordan Kaufmann, Ph.D., who served as President and CTO and was the lead inventor of the core technology; Mauli Agrawal, Ph.D., a biomaterials expert with experience in launching biomedical companies; and Steven Bailey, M.D., an interventional cardiologist. Dr. Kaufmann's six years of doctoral research formed the technological foundation of the company. Dr. Agrawal brought significant experience from prior medical device startups, and Dr. Bailey provided deep clinical insights from his cardiology practice.

The company's core product in development was the "NeoVessel," a bioabsorbable vascular graft. This implantable device functioned as a scaffold designed to promote the patient's own cells to grow and form new, viable vascular tissue. The key differentiator was its bioabsorbable nature; the graft was intended to restore blood flow immediately, like existing synthetic options, and then dissolve over time after facilitating the regeneration of a new blood vessel. This approach was aimed at treating severe cases of vascular diseases, such as peripheral artery disease (PAD), with the goal of improving long-term patient outcomes and reducing the need for repeat treatments. Cardiovate's business model revolved around the commercialization of this patented medical device, targeting the therapeutic devices market within the broader health-tech and life sciences sectors.

Throughout its operation, Cardiovate achieved several milestones, including securing patents and a technology license agreement with UTSA and the UT Health Science Center. The company raised a total of approximately $1.35 million through various funding rounds, including seed rounds and grants from entities like the National Science Foundation and the UT Horizon Fund. These funds were allocated towards device redesign and pre-clinical studies to evaluate performance. Despite its efforts in developing a novel approach to vascular regeneration, the company ultimately ceased operations, with its status listed as "Out of Business" as of July 2019.

Keywords: vascular regeneration, bioabsorbable graft, tissue engineering, NeoVessel, peripheral artery disease, medical device, tissue scaffold, interventional cardiology, regenerative medicine, biomaterials, cardiovascular repair, synthetic graft alternative, UT San Antonio, therapeutic devices, vascular disease treatment, cell proliferation, blood vessel growth, implantable device, tissue repair, med-tech