Veritas Aortic's $12M Boost for Non-Surgical Aortic Repair

COSTA MESA, CA – June 01, 2026 – Veritas Aortic Solutions, a medical technology startup, has secured $12 million in Seed financing to advance a device that could revolutionize the treatment of life-threatening aortic diseases. The funding will propel the company's Veritas Transcatheter Valved Aortic Root Conduit (TVARC) system toward its first clinical use in humans, offering a potential non-surgical alternative to one of the most high-risk procedures in cardiac surgery.

The financing round was led by a group of veteran MedTech angel investors and featured significant participation from the Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company, signaling strong confidence from both the financial and clinical communities.

The High Stakes of Aortic Repair

For patients suffering from acute conditions of the aortic root and ascending aorta—the critical section of the body's main artery as it exits the heart—the prognosis is often grim. Diseases like aortic dissections (a tear in the artery wall) or aneurysms (a dangerous bulge) in this region are medical emergencies that have historically left surgeons with only one option: high-risk, open-heart surgery.

This complex procedure involves a large chest incision, splitting the sternum, and placing the patient on a heart-lung bypass machine while the damaged section of the aorta is surgically replaced. The risks are substantial.

"With combined mortality and morbidity rates as high as 65%, it is hard to overstate the risk associated with current surgical treatments for acute conditions of the ascending aorta," said Arshad Quadri MD, Co-Founder, Executive Chairman and Chief Medical Officer of Veritas Aortic Solutions. "As a cardiac surgeon myself, I have performed these procedures numerous times. They are complex, challenging, and highly invasive."

While less invasive endovascular techniques have become the standard for repairing the descending aorta further from the heart, the intricate anatomy of the aortic root—which involves the aortic valve and the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle—has remained a formidable barrier to non-surgical intervention.

"Endovascular options for the descending aorta and the arch have been available for a long time, but open-heart surgery remains the only approved option for patients with root and ascending aortic pathologies," Dr. Quadri explained. "It has always been a dream of mine to be able to offer these patients a faster, safer, less-invasive option, and today we are one step closer to making that a reality."

Engineering a Transcatheter Solution

The Veritas TVARC system is designed to be that faster, safer option. It is an all-in-one device intended to address the complex pathology of the aortic root without a single surgical incision. The permanent implant integrates three critical components into a single device: a bioprosthetic aortic valve to replace the patient's diseased valve, an ascending aortic graft to seal off the aneurysm or dissection, and the company's proprietary Chameleon Eye™ coronary perfusion ports, designed to ensure uninterrupted blood flow to the heart itself.

The entire system is engineered to be delivered via a catheter inserted through the femoral artery in the leg—a common access point for modern cardiac interventions. This transfemoral approach allows physicians to navigate the device through the patient's vascular system and deploy it precisely at the site of the disease, effectively relining the aorta from the inside. This eliminates the need for open-heart surgery, the heart-lung machine, and the associated trauma and long recovery times.

Strategic Backing and a Proven Playbook

The $12 million in funding is not just a financial lifeline; it is a powerful endorsement of the technology and the team behind it. The participation of Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company (CSIPCo), the investment arm of the world-renowned Cedars-Sinai Health System, provides crucial clinical validation and a strategic partnership that extends beyond capital.

"The Veritas TVARC system represents the type of patient-centered innovation we seek to support at Cedars-Sinai," said Nirdesh Gupta, PhD, Managing Partner of CSIPCo. "We are pleased to participate in this financing to help advance a novel endovascular approach to Aortic Root and Ascending Aortic Disease—an area where treatment options have remained largely unchanged for years despite significant patient risk."

As part of the financing, Dr. Gupta joins the Veritas Board of Directors, alongside other MedTech heavyweights Chad Martinson, a former Medtronic CoreValve executive, and Judd Nordquist, CEO of Ibis Scientific. Their collective experience in developing, financing, and commercializing medical devices adds a deep well of strategic expertise as Veritas prepares for its critical next steps.

Veritas Aortic Solutions is the latest spinout from inQB8 Medical Technologies, a medical device incubator with a remarkable track record. Co-founded by Dr. Quadri and CEO J. Brent Ratz, inQB8 has become a proven engine for cardiovascular innovation. Its previous successes include:
* CardiAQ Valve Technologies: A pioneer in transcatheter mitral valve replacement, acquired by industry giant Edwards Lifesciences in 2015 for $350 million.
* MonarQ: A developer of a transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement system, whose technology was acquired by Peijia Medical in 2021.
* Relief Cardiovascular: A company focused on interventional heart failure management that recently completed its Series A financing and first-in-human studies.

This history of success provides a blueprint for Veritas. The model of incubating a technology within a specialized team, de-risking it through prototyping and preclinical testing, and then spinning it out with strong investor backing has proven highly effective.

"After establishing the Veritas program within inQB8 Medical Technologies and rapidly advancing it through prototyping, bench testing, and successful chronic animal studies, we are honored to have the support of seasoned MedTech investors, leading physicians, and a world-class healthcare organization like Cedars-Sinai," said J. Brent Ratz, Co-Founder and CEO of Veritas Aortic Solutions.

Ratz, reflecting on his long partnership with Dr. Quadri, added, "Given the complexity of Root and Ascending Aortic Diseases and the dire need for an interventional solution, I believe Veritas is poised to be the most meaningful of all in terms of patient impact." With this new infusion of capital, the company is now focused on the final development stages and regulatory preparations needed to initiate its first-in-human clinical trials, a pivotal milestone that could bring this potentially life-saving technology one step closer to the patients who need it most.