Nanordica’s Premotiv® dressing has demonstrated a 43% reduction in wound area size after just one week of treatment compared to 13% with standard silver dressings in a randomized controlled trial on 30 patients with diabetic foot ulcers. The study was recently published in the scientific Journal of Wound Care^[2].

Around 100 million people worldwide have chronic wounds that fail to heal. More than half of these wounds become infected, often leading to severe complications such as sepsis, amputation and death. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are the leading cause of infections and leg amputations among chronic wounds. Every 20 seconds, someone with diabetes loses a leg due to amputation. Often called a “silent killer,” DFUs have five-year mortality rates and treatment costs comparable to cancer^[3].

Systemic antibiotics are currently the only treatment recommended for infected wounds by DFU treatment guidelines. However, they often fail to reach wound sites at sufficient concentrations. Their use is also increasingly restricted due to the rise of antimicrobial resistance.

Existing antibacterial dressings are not recommended by wound care guidelines largely because most lack clinical evidence. In addition, to effectively treat infection, many antibacterial dressings typically contain high concentrations of antibacterial agents that can delay healing by damaging healthy skin cells.

Nanordica Medical is addressing this challenge through its patent-protected Premotiv® technology that PREvents infection and proMOTes wound healing at the same time. By overcoming the longstanding trade-off between antimicrobial activity and safety to skin cells, Premotiv® enables faster wound healing and is suitable for both infected wounds and wounds at risk of infection.

In addition to the already published pilot study with 30 patients, Nanordica Medical is currently conducting a multicentered, double-blind, randomized clinical trial in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

With more than 120 patients already enrolled, it is one of the largest studies of its kind. It is expected to generate strong clinical evidence supporting reimbursement, future treatment guideline recommendations and broader clinical adoption of Nanordica’s technology.

“Current DFU treatment guidelines are not fully aligned with everyday clinical practice, where there is a clear need for effective antibacterial dressings”, said Prof. Dr. José Luis Lázaro Martínez, the Chair of the Diabetic Foot Committee of the European Wound Management Association and the Principal Investigator of Nanordica Medical’s multicentered trial. “Antibacterial dressings supported by robust clinical evidence may influence future guideline recommendations and become category-defining solutions.”

The company’s innovative approach has gained international recognition. In 2026, SmartTRAK, a leading wound care market intelligence platform, named Nanordica Medical among four advanced wound dressing companies to watch, highlighting the company’s unique approach to addressing the “Silver Paradox” in antimicrobial wound care.

“Antimicrobial resistance is one of the defining healthcare challenges of this decade and most wound care products are making it worse. Nanordica has built a clinically proven alternative that doesn’t rely on antibiotics, doesn’t compromise healing, and leaves a significantly smaller environmental footprint. We backed the team because they had both the science and the conviction to see this through”, says Martin Koppel, the Founder Partner of 2C Ventures.

Nanordica Medical launched its first veterinary wound care product, Ravimus Vet^[4], in 2023. The product has received positive market acceptance and is currently distributed in six countries.

The human product will be launched following CE marking. To support commercialization, Nanordica Medical has completed key regulatory and operational milestones, including certification of its quality management system in accordance with ISO 13485:2016 requirements. The company has also recently been granted a European patent, strengthening its market defensibility and supporting the expansion of its product portfolio. These activities, including the ongoing multicentre clinical trial, were supported by a €2.4 million European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator grant.

“This financing round will enable us to complete a large randomized clinical study, strengthening the economic case for Premotiv® and finalize CE marking for commercial launch in Europe. Our clinical data suggest that Premotiv^® helps wounds heal faster by managing infection without compromising natural healing process. Faster healing has the potential to reduce complications, lower treatment costs and improve outcomes for patients with chronic wounds”, said Olesja Bondarenko, CEO and co-founder of Nanordica Medical.

About Nanordica Medical

• Nanordica Medical is an Estonian medtech company founded by scientists and medical doctors, dedicated to transforming laboratory innovations into practical medical solutions. The company is Estonia’s National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics spin-off.

• Estonian MedTech company Nanordica Medical receives €2.4M EIC Accelerator funding and closes €375k oversubscribed investment round

• The winners of sTARTUp Pitching 2022 have been announced!

Referrals:

^[1] https://www.2cventures.eu/

^[2] Roosimaa M, Ilumets H, Kaha T, Kubo AL, Valkna A, Sihtmäe M, Kadaja M, Russell DA, Bondarenko O, Vasiliev G. A wound dressing with copper and silver nanoparticles versus ionic silver hydrofibre dressing for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: a randomised clinical trial. J Wou the nd Care. 2026;35(4):300-310. doi: 10.12968/jowc.2025.0002

^[3] Armstrong DG, Swerdlow MA, Armstrong AA, Conte MS, Padula WV, Bus SA. Five year mortality and direct costs of care for people with diabetic foot complications are comparable to cancer.

J Foot Ankle Res. 2020;13(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s13047-020-00383-2

^[4] https://www.nanordica.com/ravimus

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Due to the very strong competition, the EstBAN syndicate will be divided between two promising deep tech startups: ImpactPCB gets up to €150k, and LifeGlue (FIN) gets up to €150k.

EstBAN syndicate co-lead Martin Goroško commented that the startups were impressive, and it wasn’t an easy task to pick the winners. “All the top 30 companies that made it to the sTARTUp Day pitching stage are investable, and I believe investors will pick them up sooner or later. Regarding the angel investor syndicate, we were weighing the decision pretty intensely until the last minute,” Goroško mentioned.

Lead investor Heidi Kakko said that the winners were the strongest in all aspects that investors are looking for. “They know how to validate a problem early enough in a complex field and create a corresponding solution. For investors, it’s also important to understand their specific markets,” Kakko said.

How are the investment winners going to change the world?

ImpactPCB offers a validated, revenue-generating deep-tech solution for chemical-free e-waste recycling, addressing a critical EU resource challenge. Strong founder expertise, early customer traction, and scalable modular technology support an attractive growth opportunity.

• Founders: Artur Klauson, Deniss Klauson
• Read more: https://www.impactpcb.com/our-solutions

LifeGlue is developing a scalable biomaterial platform with strong scientific foundations and broad application potential. Early validation and a clear value proposition position the company well for long-term impact and growth.

• Founders: Laura Kuittinen, Paula Puistola, Anni Mörö
• Read more: https://www.glue4life.com/

Rest of the TOP5 startups of the sTARTUp Day 2026 Pitching Competition

These companies made it to the finals together with two winners from a pool of over 200 promising ventures:

• Thistle and Gerda-Annika Laager (EST)
• EsaDres and Karin Kogermann (EST)
• BabAI Orbital and Roman Karpenko (UKR-EST).

More on the same topic

• Read more about the sTARTUp Day 2026 syndicate
• Take a look at former EstBAN syndicates too.

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The post EstBAN syndicate winners of sTARTUp Day Pitching Competition are deep tech companies ImpactPCB (EST) and LifeGlue (FIN) appeared first on EstBAN.

What it means to be a lead investor and why are you doing it?

Martin: Leading a syndicate gives you in a few months the experience that usually takes years: scouting dealflow, running due diligence, negotiating terms, and closing the deal. It’s an experience every angel should aim for – when you make decisions later during your investment journey, you know each step first-hand and have tested the investment process. In the context of an event like sTARTUp Day, the lead role helps to shape a very resilient angel investor.

How do you rate the overall level of startups this year?

Martin: As expected, strong. All ~30 companies that passed the main screening are investable, and I believe investors will pick them up during sTARTUp Day or afterward. While there’s talk in the ecosystem about a shortage of founders and difficulty finding good companies, this selection doesn’t support that. It was diverse by stage, from deals for early angels to A-round VCs, and by verticals, from deep tech to simple, scalable mobile apps. The international angle stood out as well. Latvia and Lithuania have made a big leap, and serious deep tech is coming from there.

Heidi: The share of women founders could be higher, although a few women-led teams did make it to the top this year.

Which fields stood out, and what was specific about this year?

Heidi: Defense and dual-use, AI, and healthtech dominated. The strongest rise was in defense and dual-use technologies, not necessarily new products were introduced, but existing companies have redefined their market segment and go-to-market strategies. We aimed for balance so the strongest teams from different sectors were visible. Still, those two areas are the hottest globally right now.

Who made the finals, and on what basis?

Heidi: Simply put, companies that are market-ready, with a clear go-to-market strategy and a capable team to execute their plans. Every selection also reflects the lead investors. Since we’re drawn to more technically complex products like deep-tech, those teams were chosen.
Martin: As EstBAN represents angels, we also have to consider capital fit: stage, valuation, and ticket size need to match angel logic, and angels should be able to make a meaningful difference in the company’s progress. The capital-company fit is crucial, sometimes even more than the sector. In my view, the top five is strong, varied, and most importantly, well suited for angel investment.

On Thursday, 29 January, 30 startups will pitch on the sTARTUp Day stage, and on Friday, 30 January, a winner will be selected from the five finalists. The investment will come from both angel investors and the venture capital fund BSV.

• See all EstBAN previous syndicates
• Read more about the sTARTUp Day investment

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