Kuopio-based Marginum Raises €2.5M In Pre-Seed Round

The round was led by Nostetta Ventures, with continued support from existing investors Redstone and Almaral. Nostetta Ventures is a regional VC firm that backs early-stage growth companies. Based in Kuopio, the team brings deep expertise in business and technology, taking a hands-on approach to helping portfolio companies grow and succeed.

“Marginum is pioneering a technology that could reshape cancer surgery worldwide. We’re investing not only in a device, but in a new way of helping surgeons make better decisions through real-time data. We believe it has the potential to improve how cancer is treated, and we’re proud to support a team with such a meaningful mission”, says Noora Tuikka, CEO at Nostetta Ventures.

New investors joined the round, including Lynx Financial, a healthcare-focused fund, along with a group of private investors with medical expertise. Business Finland also provided key support for the funding round.

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Marginum will use the capital to pursue FDA clearance for its HIVEN aspirate tissue monitoring device and accelerate its expansion into new European markets. The funds will also support strategic hiring, international growth, and continued investment in research and development.

“This funding is a critical step toward bringing HIVEN® to surgeons and patients across Europe and the United States. It enables us to pursue FDA clearance and expand our reach to new areas where precise cancer surgery tools are urgently needed. We are responding to an unmet clinical need and aim to make aspirate tissue monitoring a global standard in oncological surgery”, says Marginum CEO Samu Lehtonen MD.

Led by Samu Lehtonen, Marginum is developing advanced fluorescence-based tissue detection systems to support surgeons during operations.

The company’s flagship device, HIVEN, helps identify fluorescent tumour cells in real time during surgery. Attached to a standard surgical suction tube, it provides immediate auditory feedback when tumour cells are detected in the removed tissue.

Using a special fluorescent dye to highlight cancerous cells, HIVEN works under normal operating room lighting—unlike traditional methods—aiming to help surgeons remove tumours more safely and thoroughly.

Marginum reports that its HIVEN system has already been clinically tested at Oslo, Tampere, and Kuopio University Hospitals, showing promising early results.

The technology is based on research from the University of Eastern Finland, led by docent and consultant neurosurgeon Antti-Pekka Elomaa.

While currently focused on brain tumours, the company believes the method could eventually be applied to detecting ovarian, bladder, and liver cancers as well.

Marginum expects to receive EU marketing authorisation for the HIVEN device in fall 2025, with initial sales launching in the Nordic region through a distribution partner, targeting multi-million euro revenue in the coming years.

About Marginum

Founded in 2020, Marginum is a university-based medtech startup developing fluorescence-based tissue detection systems. Its data driven tools support real-time tumour monitoring during surgery without disrupting existing workflows. Backed by cutting-edge research, Marginum collaborates closely with academic, clinical and industry experts to ensure seamless clinical integration and improved surgical outcomes.