KOVE Medical has raised €1.7 million to support first-in-human studies of an implantable device designed to reduce preterm birth risk after foetal surgery.

The University of Zurich spin-off is developing a device designed to close defects left by surgical instruments following fetoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure performed inside the womb.

Fetoscopies can treat life-threatening conditions before birth but require surgical instruments to pass through the uterine wall and amniotic sac.

This can weaken the protective membrane, causing fluid leakage or rupture and often leading to preterm birth.

KOVE Medical said in a statement on LinkedIn: “This is a crucial step forward for our company, and we are incredibly grateful for the strong support and trust from our syndicate of visionary angel investors.”

KOVE Medical says its device closes the defect at the end of the procedure, stabilising the membrane and preventing complications. The aim is to make in-utero interventions safe enough to become a standard method of care.

The company plans to use the seed funding to reach first-in-human studies, a key milestone for a medical device seeking regulatory approval.

The CHF1.6m round was backed by a syndicate of angel investors.

The Women’s Health Innovation Summit (WHIS), the event uniting the global  women’s health ecosystem, has just announced 18 new speakers joining the agenda for  its 2026 summit, taking place October 13–15 at Encore Boston Harbor.

The latest additions bring further depth across pharma, clinical research, health  systems, venture, and policy, reinforcing WHIS’s role as the only platform where the full women’s health ecosystem convenes under one roof.

Newly confirmed speakers include:

• Kelle Moley, MD – VP, Women’s Health Early Phase Clinical Development, Cardiometabolic Research, Eli Lilly & Company
• Justine Levin-Allerhand – Executive Partner, Chief Corporate Development Officer & COO, Flagship Labs, Flagship Pioneering
• Sebnem Yildirimoglu, MD, PMP – Executive Director, Women’s Health Strategy, Premier Research
• Terri Stewart – Head of Global Healthcare & Government Affairs, EMD Serono
• Dr. Morag Grassie – Executive Director, Blavatnik Fund for Innovation, Yale
• Sandra Butler – Director, Design Impact, Mass General Brigham
• Zhenya Lindgardt – Chief Executive Officer, Sera Prognostics
• Sadie Morahan – Head of US Revenue, Withings Health Solutions
• Angela Drew, PhD – Vice President, Regulatory Strategy, Premier Research
• Dr. Stephanie Lahr – CMIO, Aqurio
• Michelle Andrews – Contributing Writer, KFF Health News
• Charlotte Williams – CEO, My Bump Hub
• Clint Dart, MS – Director, NIH Women’s Health Data Coordinating Center, Premier Research
• Cass Sanford – US Venture Advisor, FemTech Lab
• Megan Mukuria – Founder & CEO, ZanaAfrica
• Tiffany Inglis, MD, FACOG – Chief Medical Officer, Sera Prognostics
• Angelean Hendrix, PhD – Vice President, Pharmacometrics and MIDD, Premier Research
• Amanda Ducach – CEO & Co-founder, EmaEQ

“WHIS is where the women’s health industry comes together to take action,” said Poppy Howard-Wall, Event Director at WHIS.

“This latest wave of speakers reflects exactly the kind of cross-sector expertise our attendees expect – from global pharma and clinical research leadership to venture, health systems, and grassroots innovation.

“It’s this breadth that makes WHIS the room where things actually move forward.”

Bringing the Full Ecosystem Together

These additions join a growing 2026 agenda spanning four content tracks that reflect the  full lifecycle of healthcare innovation, from early-stage research and development  through to patient delivery, system transformation, and commercial scale.

Attendees can expect over 1,000 senior decision-makers, 120+ expert speakers, four dedicated stages, and more than 10 hours of curated 1:1 meetings.

Full speaker and agenda details are available at whisusa.com/speakers-2026.

About WHIS

The Women’s Health Innovation Summit is the only platform uniting the full women’s  health ecosystem – providers, payers, employers, pharma leaders, investors, and innovators -to increase deal flow, expand reimbursement, improve access, and deliver better outcomes for women at every stage of life.

Medtech startup Peripear has won an Innovate UK award for developing a wearable designed to prevent perineal trauma during childbirth.

The Oxford-based company is developing a hands-free warm compress device for use on the perineum during the second stage of labour.

Peripear describes its product as the world’s first automated perineal thermotherapy wearable, designed to prevent perineal trauma during childbirth.

The device is intended to reduce severe tearing and episiotomies while improving maternal comfort.

Peripear has secured an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award and a £74,974 grant.

The funding will support further product development ahead of the company’s planned first-in-human study.

Nina van Schaick, co-founder and chief operating officer of Peripear and midwife, said: “I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to see this gap.

“I was incredibly lucky to meet my co-founder, Eviatar Natan, right as my frustration about the lack of translation of evidence into practice had peaked.

“There was a proven mechanism that could reduce injuries occurring in up to 90 per cent of vaginal births, and it was being left out of clinical pathways simply because no standardised tool existed to deliver it.

 “I’m a farmer’s granddaughter, and when I started practising over 14 years ago, I asked: where is the tool I need to implement this evidence? I looked around and realised we were still asking clinicians to improvise.

“Peripear is what happens when the person who has lived the problem, both personally and professionally, meets the person who can help her build the solution.”