Dallas-based Spark Biomedical, an innovator in drug-free wearable neurostimulation technology, has closed its $15M Series A fundraising round. Led by Waco-based WAVE Ventures and supported by New York’s Pathway to Cures, the funding will accelerate Spark’s development of its bioelectronic treatments and support its core business focuses of neurological health, hemostasis, and women’s health, the company said.
Founded in 2018, Spark says its technology uses “precise, mild electrical pulses” to stimulate the vagus and trigeminal nerves, activating the central nervous system to “modulate pathways, reduce discomfort, and support physiological balance, resulting in non-invasive, drug-free support for a range of conditions. The goal: harnessing the body’s natural response to electrical signals to deliver what Spark calls “targeted relief—without invasive procedures or pharmaceuticals.”
Spark Biomedical CEO Daniel Powell [Image: Spark Biomedical; DI background]
“Completing our Series A fundraise marks a pivotal moment for Spark Biomedical as we scale our bioelectronic medicine platform,” Spark Co-Founder and CEO Daniel Powell said in a statement. “This investment empowers us to advance the development of non-invasive neurostimulation therapies that address significant unmet clinical needs. Our vision is to redefine how neurological conditions are treated—not with chemicals, but with precisely targeted bioelectric solutions.”
From treating opiate withdrawal to helping Air Force ease disoriented pilots
Spark’s wearable neurostimulation device, the Sparrow Therapy System, is being used to supplement traditional drug-based opioid withdrawal therapies as an FDA-cleared treatment option.
And the company’s tech may end up helping U.S. Air Force pilots as well. In February, the company received a $480,000 Defense Health Agency RESTORAL grant to explore the effectiveness of its wearable neurostimulation technology in reducing spatial disorientation and motion sickness among military personnel. That study is being led by the Air Force’s 59th Medical Wing out of Joint Base San Antonio.
Investor lauds Spark’s mission
Allen Page, managing partner at WAVE Ventures, lauded Spark’s mission “to bring life-changing devices to market.”
“From behavioral health to women’s health, Spark will address some of the world’s most challenging medical conditions and greatly improve people’s lives,” Page added in a statement.
Pathway to Cures, a venture philanthropy fund based in Midtown Manhattan, invests in science-based companies developing cures and therapies for the inheritable blood and bleeding disorders community, including the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation.
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