Malaysia’s innovation agency, Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM), has invested in Mardil Medical, a US-based medical devicemaker formed out of assets acquired from a failed start-up that raised more than $100m from a consortium including corporate venturing units.
AIM led a $6.125m series B round in Mardil, which is trying to raise a further $5m.
Mardil previously raised about $10m from a consortium including Ventureast.
Mardil was founded about seven years ago by Jai Raman, a cardiac surgeon and an adviser to Acorn Cardiovascular. Acorn raised more than $100m but was closed after it failed to gain regulatory approval for its “heart sock” called CorCap to treat heart failure.
Acorn’s last round in December 2007 raised $22m from a consortium including medical device maker Thoratec, and venture capital firms Cardinal Partners, SightLine Partners and New Enterprise Associates and bank Credit Suisse.
Raman took Acorn’s approach and developed Mardil’s heart “jacket”, VenTouch.