Brightflow

Brightflow is a French medical technology company established in 2020, concentrating on a significant unmet need in cardiovascular health: right-sided heart failure. The company was founded by Professor Pascal Lim, a cardiologist with over two decades of clinical experience and a decade in the MedTech industry, including founding Tricares. His background provides a deep understanding of the clinical challenges and device development pathway, positioning Brightflow to address the complexities of right heart dysfunction. The company is headquartered in Paris, France.

The firm's core focus is the development of a long-term, percutaneous, and minimally invasive blood pump designed to support the right ventricle. This addresses a critical gap for patients, particularly those with congenital conditions requiring a Fontan procedure—a surgery that reroutes venous blood flow directly to the pulmonary arteries, bypassing the right ventricle—and others suffering from right ventricular dysfunction. For these patients, who face progressive, multi-system complications and a median survival of two to three years post-diagnosis, current options are limited and often involve high-risk open-heart surgery.

Brightflow’s device is engineered as a right ventricular assist device (RVAD) that aims to be the first permanent, percutaneously delivered solution on the market. The system has three main components: an axial pump using magnetic coupling to achieve continuous flow, an implantation system for precise delivery via a femoral vein approach without circulatory arrest, and a subcutaneously implanted battery for power. This approach avoids the trauma and extended recovery associated with open-heart surgery. The product is currently in the preclinical development phase, having demonstrated proof-of-concept in animal models and successful implantation in human cadavers. The company anticipates conducting the first compassionate use implants in humans by early 2026.

The company's business model is centered on the development and future commercialization of this proprietary medical device to hospitals and cardiac surgeons. Brightflow has successfully secured funding to advance its mission, including an oversubscribed Series A round of €16.5 million ($18 million) in September 2024. This capital injection, led by a syndicate of investors including VIVES Partners, Majycc Innovation Santé, and BNP Paribas Development, is allocated to finalize product development and fund the initial human implants. The management team was strengthened with the appointment of Sophie Humbert as CEO and Lars Bredenbreuker as CTO, both seasoned executives in the medtech field.

Keywords: right ventricular assist device, RVAD, right heart failure, Fontan circulation, percutaneous heart pump, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, mechanical circulatory support, cardiovascular device, congenital heart disease, end-stage heart failure, implantable pump, medical technology, Pascal Lim, Sophie Humbert, VIVES Partners, cardiac innovation, cavopulmonary connection, heart failure treatment, Tricares