Epitel, maker of a wearable electroencephalogram (EEG) system for seizure detection, announced Wednesday it had scored $12.5 million in Series A funding.

The round was led by Catalyst Health Ventures (CHV) and Genoa Ventures, with participation from Dexcom, OSF Ventures, Wavemaker 360, MedMountain Ventures and Salt Lake City Angels. 

Before the Series A, Epitel had brought in more than $7.5 million, largely from grant funding.

WHAT IT DOES

The company's first product, the REMI system, consists of a wearable, wireless EEG sensor that's applied below the hairline, and software for providers to review data and monitor for seizures. The sensor can continuously monitor patients for 48 hours. 

The platform received FDA 510(k) clearance for in-hospital use in March 2021, but Epitel plans to expand into ambulatory and at-home care in the future.

WHAT IT'S FOR

The startup will use the influx of capital from the Series A round for initial commercialization of its system and to continue developing the platform. 

"Epitel’s first FDA-cleared product, REMI, has the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis, treatment and management of seizures within the hospital. With Epitel, patients, no matter their geography, may have access to essential EEGs during the most critical times of need," Epitel CEO Mark Lehmkuhle said in a statement.

"We intend to further expand our product pipeline for use outside the hospital by people living with epilepsy and other seizure conditions. We are honored to have the support of Catalyst Health Ventures, Genoa Ventures, and a strong investment syndicate in our first financing."

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Another company focused on seizure detection is Zeit, which announced in November it had raised $2 million in seed funding. The company makes a headband device that aims to alert patients to signs of a stroke or seizure. Zeit said the seed investment would go toward hiring new team members and funding a submission to the FDA.

Remote monitoring company Empatica makes an FDA-cleared wrist-worn device for people with epilepsy to alert users and their caregivers of convulsive seizures.

NeuroPace, which also makes an implantable device for patients with uncontrolled epilepsy, launched a platform last year that works with its system to collect data about patients' seizures to personalize their care.