Paris-based Sonomind, a company at the forefront of non-invasive brain stimulation, has successfully secured €3 million ($3.53M). The round includes €2 million in seed capital from Critical Path Ventures. Furthermore, the French Government's France 2030 initiative, via Bpifrance Deeptech development aid, contributed €1 million in non-dilutive funding.
The capital is set to accelerate the development of Sonomind's personalized neuromodulation ultrasound device, opening new therapeutic avenues in psychiatry and neurology. Specifically, it will enable Sonomind, founded in 2024, to launch a pivotal clinical trial.
The trial will evaluate its low-intensity ultrasound technology in patients suffering from drug-resistant depression. This condition affects a substantial portion of the 330 million people globally diagnosed with depression, where conventional medication often falls short.
Sonomind's innovation stems from over 25 years of research at the Institute of Physics for Medicine. Co-founders Professors Mickael Tanter and Jean-François Aubry spearheaded this foundational work. Their personalized transcranial neuromodulation system employs an acoustic lens, custom-designed for each patient. This unique approach allows ultrasound waves to precisely target deep brain regions, compensating for skull thickness variations.
Initial clinical feasibility studies have already yielded encouraging results. A small group of severe depression patients showed an average reduction of over 60% in depression severity within five days. Published in the Brain Stimulation Journal, these findings also reported excellent tolerance and no serious adverse events.
