by
Gus Iversen, Editor in Chief | July 27, 2026
New Zealand-based Wellumio has closed an oversubscribed $9.75 million pre-Series A financing round that the company said will support clinical validation, regulatory activities and commercialization of its portable brain imaging technology for stroke detection.
Wellumio is developing Axana, a portable, battery-powered brain imaging system designed to provide MR-based stroke assessment at the point of care. The company said the device weighs about 50 kilograms and is intended to operate without contrast agents, cryogenics or shielded rooms, potentially allowing imaging to be performed in emergency departments and other acute care settings.
The system is based on the company's Pulsed Gradient Free Mapping (PGFM) technology, which received a U.S. patent in December 2025. Wellumio said preclinical studies and first-in-human feasibility trials demonstrated agreement with conventional MR across several stroke biomarkers. The technology remains in clinical development and has not yet received regulatory approval.
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"Every minute counts in stroke care, yet only a small proportion of patients receive treatment within the 'golden hour', when timely intervention offers the best chance of reducing long-term disability," said Dr. Shieak Tzeng, cofounder and CEO of Wellumio. "The additional investment ... will help accelerate our clinical validation, regulatory and commercial milestones."
The round was led by Nuance Connected Capital and included participation from Icehouse Ventures, NZ Growth Capital Partners' Aspire Seed Fund, Pacific Channel, Booster, Cure Kids Ventures, Flying Kiwi, Enterprise Angels and retail investors through Snowball Effect. The final close added Australian medtech investor Bioshore Ventures and U.S.-based neurotechnology investor Jumpspace Ventures.
According to the company, the funding will be used to expand its workforce, advance product development and conduct additional clinical evaluations across new sites and geographic regions.
The company also announced the appointment of Harry Marfatia as head of finance. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Marfatia previously served as APAC CFO at Telix Pharmaceuticals. Wellumio said the leadership additions are intended to support its next phase of clinical development and commercialization.
