TechnoPulm raises $2 million to develop a handheld device capable of performing full lung function tests

"Chronic respiratory diseases are important contributors to the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). An estimated more than 600 million individuals worldwide have a chronic respiratory disease. Nearly 300 million people, or about 4% of the world’s population, have COPD, and 3.2 million die of it each year making it the third leading cause of death worldwide,” explained TechnoPulm.

According to the company, Asthma is the most common CRD globally and the most common chronic disease in children worldwide, affecting more than 250 million people in 2019. The company is developing a handheld device capable of performing full lung function tests. The tool replaces large, expensive machines—some as big as a phone booth—with a compact, portable device that weighs just 400 grams and can be operated in the physician's office, completing the entire test within just three minutes.

The STS product

You can learn more about the company below.

Company Name: TechnoPulm

Sector: Healthcare

Product/Service description:

The company aims to be the shifting point of care for respiratory disease patients from the hospital to the community - physician's office and patient's home.

Founders: Igor Krivts / Yuri Bilenki / Shabtay Negry

Year of Founding: 2016 (2021)

Last Investment Round: $500,000

Last Investment Stage: Seed

Date of Last Investment: October 2024

Total investment to date: $2 Million

Investors: Private Investors and the Israel Innovation Authority

Current number of employees: <5

Open positions: Yes

Website:
http://t-pulm.com

How was the idea born?

Dr. Igor Krivtz, an expert in fluid dynamics and thermodynamics, was invited several years ago to assist a company in the medical device field, where he was exposed to the complexity of current lung function testing equipment. Recognizing the lack of capability to perform lung function diagnostics in the community, Krivtz realized that an innovative computational process he had previously applied in military technologies could be adapted to medical devices.

Together with Shabat Negry, who has extensive experience in managing and leading multidisciplinary startup companies, they defined a comprehensive plan to create a paradigm shift in how respiratory disease patients will be diagnosed and monitored.

What is the need for the product?

Currently, doctors in the community have no ability to perform a full lung function diagnosis as soon as the patient arrives at their clinic. They are forced to send the patient to a lung function laboratory, usually located in hospitals. The entire process to reach a diagnosis is cumbersome, expensive, and can take many weeks or even months. This has led to a situation where it is estimated that around 50% of COPD patients are diagnosed more than ten years late.

TechnoPulm presents the STS device, the only one of its kind in the world capable of performing comprehensive diagnostic tests with a handheld device. This innovative tool replaces large, expensive machines—some as big as a phone booth—with a compact, portable device that weighs just 400 grams. It can be easily operated in the physician's office, completing the entire test within just three minutes.

How is it changing the market?

The way lung disease patients will be diagnosed and monitored over the next five years is expected to undergo a comprehensive strategic shift. With the introduction of a simple handheld diagnostic device that effectively replaces an entire lab filled with large, expensive machines operated by professional staff, the possibility of rapid and immediate diagnosis will become a reality—something that was not achievable until now.

Patients will be diagnosed instantly, within minutes, from anywhere and at any time, with the test results seamlessly transmitted to central healthcare facilities, regardless of their geographical location. These existing diagnostic challenges have resulted in approximately 50% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients remaining undiagnosed. For many, the first diagnosis occurs more than 10 years too late, by which point their medical condition has often deteriorated to an irreversible state.

Patients living in rural areas, far from major healthcare centers, will be able to receive rapid and immediate diagnosis and treatment without any geographical barriers. Patients requiring regular diagnostics, such as lung transplant recipients and children suffering from Astam will benefit from quick validation of the effectiveness of their medication by being diagnosed and monitored form their home. Additionally, elderly individuals in nursing homes, who may face mobility challenges in reaching testing laboratories, will also have improved access to necessary diagnostic services.

How big is the market for the product and who are its main customers?

Chronic respiratory diseases are important contributors to the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). An estimated more than 600 million individuals worldwide had a chronic respiratory disease. Nearly 300 million people, or about 4% of the world’s population, have COPD, and 3.2 million die of it each year making it the third leading cause of death worldwide. Asthma is the most common CRD globally and the most common chronic disease in children worldwide, affecting more than 250 million people in 2019. Lung cancer kills 1.8 million people each year and is the deadliest of all cancers. These numbers are probably an underestimate of the true burden of respiratory diseases due to a lack of diagnostic tools and lack of access to care with substantial underreporting in LMICs.

Does the product exist already? If not - at what stage is it and when is it expected to hit the market?

The first product has now completed the entire development process, undergone clinical validation, and is supported by several approved patents worldwide. It has received regulatory approvals from the Israeli Ministry of Health and the FDA authority in the United States.

The company is preparing to begin sales of the product as early as the beginning of 2025 in Israel and the United States, while continuing the development of its next-generation products.

Who are the main competitors in this sector and how big are they?

Currently, no company in the global market has successfully developed a handheld device capable of performing full lung function tests. This means that TechnoPulm faces no direct competition. The vast majority of manufacturers of medical devices for lung function testing focus on equipment designed for large testing laboratories, rather than for clinics in the community or for patients to use at home.

All companies manufacturing lung function testing equipment can be seen as both competitors and potential strategic partners. In the coming years, a significant strategic shift is anticipated in how lung diseases are diagnosed and monitored throughout a patient’s lifetime. Since these are chronic conditions that require frequent testing, the transition to community-based diagnostics and monitoring is both necessary and inevitable. This shift could eventually reduce the reliance on large testing laboratories, paving the way for more accessible and cost-effective solutions.

What is the added value that the founders bring to the company and the product?

Shabtay Negry, TechnoPulm CEO - An experienced entrepreneur and C-level manager, Shabtay has a proven track record in the computer software, medical devices, and machine vision industries. He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering, along with an MBA and an MA in Biopsychology.

As a partner and serial entrepreneur as the CEO, Shabtay has successfully led companies in both 3D technologies and the medical device sector, guiding them from the conceptual stage to market entry. He has built effective internal sales and marketing teams to facilitate product launches and has established strategic partnerships with Fortune 100 companies worldwide.

Dr. Igor Krivts, Ph.D, TechnoPulm CTO - Specializes in flow and thermodynamics sciences. With 40 years of experience in developing precision devices, including medical devices.

With 40 patents, more than 30 scientific publications, and has written two professional monographs.

He has a wealth of experience in managing multidisciplinary projects and professional teams

What will the money coming in from the round be used for?

The primary goal of this investment round is to prepare the company for its next phase—market entry, with the United States as the initial target market. At this stage, the company is establishing and developing its distribution and support infrastructure, including setting up its U.S. subsidiary office.

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