[Funding Alert] IIM Ahmedabad incubator CIIE.CO invests in healthtech startup Comofi Medtech

Bengaluru-based healthcare robotics startup Comofi Medtech has raised a total of Rs 2.15 crore from IIM Ahmedabad’s incubator, CIIE.CO; JITO Angel Network; and KIIT Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI).

In a statement, the startup said the funds will be deployed for team expansion, product compliance, certification, and working capital needs. 

“We are excited with this partnership that will help us increase the hospital network, add strategic depth, and achieve the first few installations in the hospitals," Dr Satish Kalme, CEO and Co-founder of Comofi, said in the statement.

Founded in 2018, Comofi is building a patented surgery intervention platform, nGuide, which can help surgeons visualise the target area in great detail. This will help increase surgical efficiency, outcome, and safety of healthcare practitioners.

According to the startup, the platform is aimed at democratising robotic intervention by providing a compact and adaptable platform for multiple surgical interventions in a hospital.

“Given that surgical interventions are complex and such deep tech products can make lives easier for both doctors and patients, it gives us confidence in backing Comofi and the team behind it," said Chintan Antani, Assistant Vice-President (Seed Investing) at CIIE.CO. "We believe these interventions are the need of the hour and have huge scope globally.”

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the healthtech startup has also pivoted its core business to focus on manufacturing face masks.

According to reports, last year the startup launched two variations of patent-pending N-95 masks, namely NT-Mask C19 and NT-Mask Connect.

NT-Mask C19 has been designed to enable contactless nasal and oral swab collection from patients. This will allow healthcare professionals to peel just part of the mask for the collection of swabs, instead of making the patient remove the whole mask. 

NT-Mask Connect is a transparent mask that allows visual communication with others even with the mask on.

The startup is also manufacturing PPE kits, surgical masks, gloves, and goggles to ensure the safety of medical professionals amid the pandemic.

“Innovation for the betterment of mankind is the key driver of this century; Comofi is one little step towards it," said Sidharth Bagadia, Lead Investor at JITO Angel Network. "The team is young, multidisciplinary, and dynamic and has the vision to develop sustainable, reliable, efficient, and economic yet innovative solutions.”