Scopis finances worldwide expansion with venture capital

Scopis GmbH (www.scopis.com) announces the successful conclusion of its Series A round financing. Investors in the young medical technology company from Berlin are the VC Fonds Technologie Berlin managed by the IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH (venture capital company) and the Falk Strascheg Holding (EXTOREL) as new investors as well as existing shareholders High-Tech Gruenderfonds (HTGF) and Fraunhofer Society.

“In conjunction with a  financing from the ProFIT programme by the Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB, investment bank Berlin) early this year, Scopsis can now invest a seven-digit sum in the expansion of its worldwide sales network and in the development of new products,” says Dipl.-Ing. (Master of Engineering) Bartosz Kosmecki, founder and director of Scopis.

From BZMM (Centre for Mechatronic Medical Technology Berlin), a cooperation between Fraunhofer IPK and Charité, Scopis GmbH was founded in 2010. Scopis is specializing in the development and commercialization of clinical measuring systems for different medical fields of application in the minimally invasive surgery. Recently, the company presented a new surgical navigation system. The Scopis Hybrid Navigation combines optic and electromagnetic measuring technologies in one system and allows the surgeon to take indication oriented decisions as to which technology would be more suitable for each intervention and provide the best assistance.

Among the most recent developments in medical technology is also a special “augmented reality” function which permits to show navigation data directly on the endoscopy display. This works in a similar way as a route guidance system: before the intervention the surgeon defines a path to follow in real time during surgery. An acoustic signal warns him as soon as he deviates from the projected path.

“We found Scopis innovative products very convincing. We are looking very much forward to our future collaboration with this successful spin-off,” explains Ute Mercker, authorized signatory of the IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft.

Falk Strascheg (EXTOREL) adds: “In particular, developments such as the hybrid navigation and the augmented reality function not only save an enormous amount of time and money in practice, but they also reduce the risk of complications. We are very happy to support this practice-related approach.”

Kay Balster, investment manager at High-Tech Gruenderfonds explains: “At HTGF we are very pleased that the renown investors Strascheg Holding and IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft have joined and thus provided the company with the necessary resources to successfully expand on the market.”

Scopis’ navigation products are currently being commercialized and used in clinical settings in over 20 countries. The company is supported by a wide range of reference clinics and doctors organizing international workshops. With the capital inflow from the current financing stage the sale of Scopis’ products will be expanded on a global scale.

About Scopis GmbH
Scopis GmbH develops surgical navigation systems for ENT, maxillofacial and neurosurgery. Unrivalled worldwide are the Scopis Hybrid Navigation System, combining optic and electromagnetic measuring technology, as well as the continuous endoscopy navigation with Augmented Reality, combining the navigation data with the live endoscopy display. The company has its registered office in Berlin and is a spin-off from the Charité University Medical Department in Berlin and the Fraunhofer Society. Scopis’ products are currently being sold and used in clinical settings in over 20 countries. For further information please visit www.scopis.de

Contact:
Scopis GmbH Bartosz Kosmecki, CEO
Bluecherstr. 22
10961 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0) 30 201 69 38 0
contact@scopis.com
www.scopis.com

About IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH
IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft provides innovative Berlin companies with venture capital and has established itself as market leader in Berlin in the field of early stage financing. The means are being used in particular for the development and commercialization of innovative products or services as well as for business concepts in the creative industry. Currently there are two funds under management of IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft in the investment phase, the VC Fonds Technologie Berlin with a fund volume of 52 million € and the VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft (creative industry) Berlin with a fund volume of 30 million €. Both VC funds are financed with the funds of the Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB, investment bank Berlin) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managed by the federal Land of Berlin. Since 1997 IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft has provided over 850 million € to creative and technology companies based in Berlin in consortia with partners, of which IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft has invested 116 million € as lead investor, co-lead investor and co-investor.

Contact:
IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH
Ute Mercker, authorized signatory
Bundesallee 210
10719 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0) 30 2125 3201
venture@ibb-bet.de
www.ibb-bet.de

About Falk Strascheg Holding GmbH
Falk Strascheg Holding (EXTOREL) specializes in equity capital financing of companies in the industrial sectors of ICT, software, laser technology, electrical engineering, automation, measuring and control technology as well as medical technology. Since 1987 EXTOREL has attended to 100 direct investments and to over 30 venture capital as well as private equity funds. EXTOREL is directed by Mathias Lindermeir and Falk F. Strascheg, former president of European Venture Capital Association (EVCA) and probably one of the best known providers of risk capital in Germany. EXTOREL concludes financing in all kinds of stages – from the seed phase up to expansion – and participates with amounts starting from 500,000 €. Apart from the intensive assistance and coaching by the investment manager, the companies interested in participation also benefit from the integration in an international network.

Contact:
EXTOREL
Falk Strascheg, shareholder
Nussbaumstrasse 12
80336 Munich
Phone: +49 (0) 89 20 70 30
info@extorel.de
www.extorel.de

About Fraunhofer Venture
Fraunhofer Venture was founded in Munich in 1999 and considers itself as a partner of founders, start-ups and Fraunhofer institutes as well as of the industry and capital providers.

Young companies from the Fraunhofer environment have access to the Fraunhofer technologies, infrastructure and know how with over 5,200 patent families, thus having the possibility to establish themselves and their products on the market in a faster and more efficient way. The range of services includes the foundation, the technology transfer, the financing and the management of corporate investments. For further information please visit www.fraunhoferventure.de

Contact:
Matthias Keckl
Fraunhofer Venture
Hansastr. 27c
80686 Munich
Phone: +49 (0)89-1205-4502
fraunhoferventure@fraunhofer.de
www.fraunhoferventure.de

About High-Tech Gruenderfonds
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests EUR 500,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the KfW Banking Group, as well as strategic corporate investors including ALTANA, BASF, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE Color, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Lanxess, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, METRO, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, SAP, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gruenderfonds has about EUR 573.5 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million HTGF I, EUR 301.5 million HTGF II).

Contact:
High-Tech Gruenderfonds Management GmbH
Kay Balster
Schlegelstrasse 2
53113 Bonn
Phone: +49 (228) 823 001-00
Fax: +49 (228) 823 000-50
k.balster@high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de