New Zealand-based Wellumio has secured $7.28 million in the first close of its pre-Series A financing round, led by Nuance Connected Capital. Additional participants included Icehouse Ventures, NZ Growth Capital Partners, Pacific Channel, and the New Zealand Government’s Active Investor Plus (AIP) program. The company plans to use the funding to accelerate commercialization of its portable MRI technology designed for stroke detection at the point of care.
Stroke treatment outcomes are highly time-sensitive, with the first 60 minutes after symptom onset often determining the extent of recovery. However, conventional MRI systems are large, infrastructure-intensive machines that require shielded rooms, cryogenics for cooling, and specialized radiology facilities. As a result, fewer than five percent of patients globally receive treatment within the optimal “golden hour.”
Wellumio aims to address this limitation with Axana, a 50kg, battery-powered MRI scanner designed for use directly in emergency and acute care settings. Unlike traditional MRI systems, Axana does not require shielded rooms, cryogenics, or contrast agents. The device is intended to reduce delays associated with patient transport and imaging scheduling in hospital radiology departments.
Key features of Axana include:
Portability: Weighing approximately 50kg (110 lbs), enabling mobility within clinical environments.
Operational simplicity: Battery-powered operation without radiation or contrast agents.
Proprietary technology: Utilization of Pulsed Gradient Free Mapping (PGFM), which secured a U.S. patent in December 2025.
According to the company, early feasibility trials have shown that Axana can identify stroke biomarkers with accuracy comparable to conventional MRI systems.
“The strong support we’ve received validates both the clinical need we are addressing and the progress we’ve made,” said Dr. Shieak Tzeng, Co-founder and CEO of Wellumio.
By reducing infrastructure requirements and enabling imaging at the bedside, Wellumio seeks to expand timely stroke diagnosis and increase the proportion of patients treated within the critical therapeutic window.
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