AMT Medical raises €25 million for bypass procedure without open-Heart surgery

AMT Medical, a medtech company based in Ede and Utrecht, has announced the closing of a €25 million funding round. The round was led by Bender Analytical Holding, with participation from Invest-NL, the European Innovation Council (EIC), and existing investors. This milestone accelerates AMT’s mission to make open-heart bypass surgery obsolete through its groundbreaking ELANA® Heart Bypass System.
A revolution in cardiac surgery: key innovations
The ELANA® Heart Bypass System enables surgeons to perform a highly advanced form of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using arterial rather than venous grafts. This is done through small incisions in the chest, while the heart continues to beat, and without the use of a heart-lung machine. As a result, the risk of stroke and other complications is significantly reduced, and patients recover much faster. This represents a major shift from traditional methods, which require opening the chest, stopping the heart, and involve lengthy recovery times.
The technique uses a specialized clip and an excimer laser to connect blood vessels, eliminating the need for manual suturing. This enables fast, precise, and reliable vessel connections with fewer complications.
Moreover, the system cuts costs by over 50% when used in combination with surgical robots— thanks to shorter operating room times, reduced hospital stays, fewer complications, and a faster learning curve for surgeons compared to traditional bypass surgery.
Next steps
With CE marking expected by 2026 and clinical trials in the U.S. on the horizon, this funding will support:
- Completion of our European first-in-human trial (results late 2025)
- Expansion into robotic-assisted keyhole surgery, partnering with industry leaders
- A future where 1 million patients annually benefit from safer, faster cardiac care
Rutger Tulleken, CEO of AMT Medical, said: “This financing validates our vision to obsolete open-heart bypass. By enabling same-day discharge procedures, we’re not just improving outcomes—we’re rewriting the future of cardiovascular care.”

Utrecht Science Park Summer Café: Farewell to Managing Director Jan Henk van der Velden
On Monday, 6 July, the Utrecht Science Park Summer Café took place at Grand Café Living on Utrecht Science Park. This edition was dedicated to the farewell of Jan Henk van der Velden, Managing Director of the Utrecht Science Park Foundation, after nine years in which he played a key role in the development and positioning of the ecosystem.

UMC Utrecht is to get a new main entrance and a green campus park
The north side of UMC Utrecht is set to undergo a major redevelopment in the coming years. Utrecht City Council and the teaching hospital have presented plans for a new main entrance, a central car park and a green reception area designed to improve connections between the hospitals at Utrecht Science Park. The plans have now been submitted to the city council.

Petra Baarendse appointed new Managing Director of Stichting Utrecht Science Park as of 1 September
Utrecht, 2 July 2026 – As of 1 September 2026, Petra Baarendse will take office as the new Managing Director of Stichting Utrecht Science Park. She succeeds Jan Henk van der Velden, who has stepped down and will take on a new role as Managing Director of Stichting Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug.

Opening Utrecht Science Week with keynote by Juliette Legler on the hidden influence of environmental chemicals
On Friday, September 25, the annual science festival ‘Utrecht Science Week’ kicks off once again at Utrecht Science Park. We are pleased to announce that this year, Prof. Dr. Ir. Juliette Legler will deliver the Utrecht Science Lecture. Juliette Legler is Professor of Toxicology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University and leads the ‘One Health Toxicology’ group at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS).