Dutch Medtech Company Hy2Care Secures €4.5Mn To Launch Clinical Trial

Half of the funding comes from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, awarded in 2022 via the EIC Accelerator programme.

The rest was provided by existing investors, led by Brightlands Venture Partners, with new backing from LIOF, Limburg’s regional development agency.

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This funding boost follows FDA IDE approval, allowing Hy2Care to begin clinical trials of CartRevive in the United States.

Hy2Care is tackling cartilage damage, a common cause of joint pain and reduced mobility, often due to injury or degenerative diseases. With an aging population and rising demand for minimally invasive, regenerative treatments, the need for orthopaedic innovation is growing fast.

CartRevive, developed by Hy2Care, is a unique hydrogel implant designed to repair damaged cartilage with a minimally invasive approach—offering a promising alternative to traditional surgery.

As global demand grows for scalable and regenerative orthopaedic treatments, Hy2Care’s solution stands out. In the U.S. alone, the cartilage repair market is expected to surpass $1.6 billion by 2030, driven by innovation in biomaterials, sports medicine, and personalized care.

“This round gives us the momentum we need to take the next big step,” said Leo Smit, CEO of Hy2Care. “We’re entering a transformative phase - launching a US clinical trial while laying the foundation for commercialisation in EMEA. We are incredibly proud of the support from our investors, both existing and new.”

The EIC Fund is the investment arm of the European Innovation Council’s Accelerator programme. It supports early-stage startups across the EU that are developing breakthrough technologies. The fund focuses on high-risk, high-impact ventures aiming for global scale.

About Hy2Care

Hy2Care, led by Leo Smit, has created a patented hydrogel technology to improve cartilage repair.Their main product, the CartRevive hydrogel implant, is made especially for knee cartilage repair and is now being tested in clinical trials called the “ACTIVE” study.

They finished signing up patients for the EU trial in 2024 and expect to get European market approval (CE marking) by early 2026.