At its Hard2beat Connect conference, the Hard2beat fund announced its first three investments, marking both the fund’s inaugural transactions and the first capital allocation under the PFR Starter program. One of these investments is Neuromedical Sp. z o.o., a Polish-Israeli startup into which Hard2beat has invested PLN 3 million in a seed round.
VGuard: The Flagship Innovation
Neuromedical’s flagship innovation is the VGuard system, which originated in Israel thanks to Dr. Tamir Ben David – an entrepreneur and inventor with a portfolio of around 100 patents – and was brought to Poland by Dr. Adam Broncel, a neurologist responsible for the clinical side of the project.
How VGuard Works
VGuard uses ear-clip electrodes, a pulse generator, and proprietary adaptive algorithms to non-invasively stimulate the vagus nerve during sleep. This stimulation activates a cascade of neuromodulators, increases theta II activity in the hippocampus, and engages cortical networks responsible for memory consolidation. These effects have been confirmed through electrophysiological studies and functional brain imaging (fMRI), which showed activation in the frontal, temporal, and cingulate regions following stimulation.
The therapy has the potential not only to slow the progression of cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early-stage Alzheimer’s but, with prolonged use, to help patients remain in the early stages for years—significantly delaying loss of independence.
The potential global impact is enormous: an estimated 47–50 million people currently live with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, and this number is projected to reach 139 million by 2050. When including undiagnosed MCI cases, the number of people who could benefit from non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation stretches into the hundreds of millions—and is expected to grow as populations age.
Initial Studies and Previous Funding
Neuromedical has already completed its first round of clinical research with tangible results. Prior to Hard2beat’s involvement, Kraków-based fund Innoventure invested PLN 1 million via the BRIdge Alfa program, enabling a medical study on 51 patients. The study confirmed the therapy’s effectiveness, showing statistically significant improvements of up to 5 points on the ADAS-Cog scale and a low incidence of mild side effects (e.g., temporary skin irritation).
Following Innoventure, Israeli family office Arbelon Holdings Ltd. joined the company, bringing with it Ehud Raivitz—former CEO of Elcam Medical, a global leader in disposable fluid-control components for major OEMs in the medical sector. Under Raivitz’s leadership, Elcam Medical grew to over USD 100 million in annual revenue and established a sales network across more than 40 countries. At Neuromedical, Raivitz now oversees the company’s market-entry strategy for both the EU and U.S.
Purpose of the Hard2beat Investment
Hard2beat’s capital will fund the next critical stages of VGuard’s development. The company plans to:
- Complete the next clinical trial involving dozens of patients across several European centers,
- Perform a full suite of validation tests required for EU certification,
- Prepare the first FDA submission in the U.S.,
- Launch a pilot assembly line for the device,
- And develop the cloud platform and mobile app to allow physicians to remotely monitor therapy progress and patient adherence.
“In 30 years in the medical and pharmaceutical device industry, I’ve seen many startups—but none with as unique a value proposition as Neuromedical. It’s an honor to lead this project born from Polish-Israeli collaboration, especially as the son of a Polish mother living with dementia. Thanks to Hard2beat’s investment, we are strengthening this partnership and advancing critical innovation in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases,” says Ehud Raivitz, CEO of Neuromedical.
“Neuromedical combines a unique, hard-to-replicate technology with a world-class team of experts capable of executing this ambitious vision. From my perspective, this is the essence of deep tech—exactly the kind of project we want to invest in,” adds Konrad Trzyna, Managing Partner at Hard2beat.
Source: Manager+
