Via Surgical receives investment from Catcher Technology

Via Surgical, a developer of surgical fixation solutions, has received an investment from Catcher Technology, which has grown from a family-owned business into an Asian manufacturing giant listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. This is Catcher’s first investment in the medical device industry.

Catcher Technology embarked on a scouting process together with the Israel Economic and Trade Mission in Taipei. Via Surgical stood out in its uniqueness and compatibility with Catcher’s core capabilities.

The new funding will be used to accelerate Via Surgical’s growth in the APAC region and will support development and production of the company’s FasTouch deployable suture fixation system, which aims to make hernia repair surgeries less labour intensive for surgeons and recovery less painful for patients. The FasTouch lockable, closed-loop sutures offer superior repair holding strength, durability, and flexibility while being easy for surgeons to use in a busy operating room. Via Surgical has secured two U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearances for the FasTouch Absorbable and FasTouch Permanent Fixation Systems.

The gold standard of attaching medical repair meshes to soft tissues is suturing -- stitching using a needle and thread -- but that method requires more time and a larger surgical cut. The alternative to suturing is use of tacks and anchors, which can be more quickly deployed, but are also more easily dislodged when a patient coughs, laughs, or stretches. The majority of U.S. surgeons supplement tacks with transfascial sutures. Via Surgical’s FasTouch technology deploys fasteners as quickly and easily as tacks, but with the superior holding power of sutures.

Lena Levin, co-founder and CEO of Via Surgical, said: “We’re excited to partner with Catcher as it will help us ramp up production of our surgical fixation technologies. We are also grateful to the Israeli Foreign Trade Administration for recommending us as one of the leading medical technology developers in a country that is at the forefront of medical innovation. This is a real validation of our efforts and will support us as we expand our technological development into additional surgical areas.”

Catcher Technology spokesperson Kevin Yeh added: “There’s a lot of exciting work going on in the start-up ecosystem in Israel, and Via Surgical stood out to us for its innovative approach to surgical technology. We look forward to working with the company through this strategic investment.”