Aspero Medical awarded $1M grant

Boulder, CO, Nov. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aspero Medical awarded $1M grant for development of intraoperative gastrointestinal endoscopic balloon overtube

Aspero Medical, a medical device startup focused on design and development of innovative technology to improve gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures, received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the purpose of further developing the company’s advanced intraoperative endoscopic balloon overtube for use in gastrointestinal (GI) and endoscopy procedures.

Aspero Medical is a graduate company of Innosphere’s incubation and commercialization program and is now a portfolio company of the Innosphere Ventures Fund. “There are significant limitations with current technology used in gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures, but Aspero has developed an alternative that will potentially improve performance of certain procedures, save time for practitioners and patients, and improve patient outcomes,” said Mike Freeman, Innosphere Ventures Fund general partner. “We look forward to continuing to support the company and the ongoing development efforts.”

The NSF grant funds will be used to further develop Aspero Medical’s C-Tube^TM product line that incorporates their patented Pillar^TM balloon technology. “This investment will allow us to finalize an entirely new approach to enabling complete colonoscopy procedures,” said Mark Rentschler, Aspero Medical CEO. “We are extremely grateful to have received this grant from the National Science Foundation.”

Every year in the U.S., over 51 million gastrointestinal endoscopies are performed, including 19 million colonoscopies. Colonoscopies are performed for a number of reasons, including screening for pre-cancerous growths and procedures to remove diseased tissues. As the rate of colorectal cancer continues to rise, endoscopists are in need of more advanced tools to locate and treat the disease.

Aspero Medical’s C-Tube^TM is designed to enable more efficient and effective colonoscopies. The project will be led by principal investigator (PI) Mark Rentschler and supported by the growing Aspero Medical team. “We look forward to carrying this project to full commercialization and expanding the options currently available for endoscopic gastrointestinal procedures, including colonoscopy,” said Rentschler.

“NSF is proud to support the technology of the future by thinking beyond incremental developments and funding the most creative, impactful ideas across all markets and areas of science and engineering,” said Andrea Belz, Division Director of the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships at NSF. “With the support of our research funds, any deep technology startup or small business can guide basic science into meaningful solutions that address tremendous needs.”

“It is immensely valuable to have the support of the National Science Foundation with the development of this novel product for the gastrointestinal endoscopy market,” said Dr. Steven Edmundowicz, Chief Medical Officer for Aspero Medical. “The ever increasing number of patients suffering with colorectal cancer requires that we look to develop innovative diagnostic and treatment options. We look forward to ensuring that the Aspero Medical C-Tube^TM is available for all cases where the innovative design can make a difference.”

• Mark Rentschler, Aspero Medical CEO
• NSF’s Small Business Programs