Claret Capital Partners, one of Europe’s largest independent growth debt fund managers has made an investment through its funds, of €30m in Carvolix, formerly Affluent Medical. Carvolix is a French commercial- and clinical-stage medical technology company specialising in the international development and industrialisation of AI-driven mini-robots and biomimetic implants to revolutionise interventional cardiology and the treatment of ischemic stroke.
Based in Aix-en-Provence, France, Carvolix is aiming to transform cardiac valve replacement and stroke, conditions, where the company says there is large unmet clinical need and limited patient access to effective therapy.
The company is is developing AI- and imaging-driven mini-robotic technologies designed to expand access to life-saving procedures such as TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation). Its lead asset, the TAVIpilot aims to support interventional cardiologists in complex procedures, where precision, consistency, and speed are critical.
Structural heart diseases and stroke affect millions of patients worldwide and remain leading causes of mortality and disability. Transcatheter valve therapies and thrombectomy are complex procedures that require advanced operator expertise, limiting access and consistent outcomes for patients worldwide.
The company says there is a high unmet need globally due to a bottleneck in adoption, procedural complexity and reliance on specialist technicians. As a result, 1.7m patients are eligible for TAVI procedures per annum but only 17% receive treatment; in ischemic stroke, less than 5% of patients worldwide have access to mechanical thrombectomy.
Joey Mason, Life Sciences Venture Partner at Claret Capital Partners said: “We are delighted to be supporting Carvolix, enabling it to drive its business forward. Carvolix is exactly the type of innovative company we like to work with – it is an exciting business with a technology portfolio which could transform the lives of people. By redefining structural heart and stroke interventions through its AI-guided procedural support and robotically enabled procedures, Carvolix has the opportunity to radically improve the lives of patients who could receive this and other life-saving interventions.”
Sébastien Ladet, Chief Executive Officer of Carvolix commented: “This debt financing gives us specific means directed towards the commercialisation of TAVIPILOT and preparation of industrialisation across our portfolio. Claret Capital’s interest in our technology and roadmap is a further validation as we work to make AI-driven robotics and biomimetic implants a new standard of care for patients facing complex cardiovascular and neurovascular procedures.”
