Angiolutions and the EIC Accelerator: Treating Small Aneurysms

Angiolutions, founded in 2020 and based in Hannover, develops the A3-Shield, a nitinol implant placed by catheter next to a small abdominal aortic aneurysm to stop it growing. Its founders, Dr Isabel Schellinger and Dr Uwe Raaz, found at Stanford University that stiffness differences along the aorta, driven by the pulse wave of every heartbeat, push aneurysms to expand. It was selected in the EIC Accelerator's March 2023 cut-off and received an EU grant of €2.50 million for a €4.00 million project that ran from January 2024 to December 2025, according to CORDIS. The grant was to finish development before the first-in-human study and "submit for regulatory clearance (CE mark)", according to the CORDIS reporting page.

The only public report covers 2024: the delivery device was optimised, an implantation planning algorithm was built, verification and validation began, and the trial protocol was drafted. Angiolutions treated its first patient on the PRINCIPIIS-FIH trial in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and announced it on 3 December 2025, four weeks before the project ended, according to Angiolutions. The trial plans 12 patients and was still recruiting at its last update in January 2026, according to ClinicalTrials.gov. No CE mark application has been announced.

Where Angiolutions Stands Now

Angiolutions is registered at the Hannover district court, and a capital increase to €45,667 of share capital was entered in March 2026, according to register data summarised by North Data, which shows no financial figures. In July 2026 the company said its portfolio had grown to 33 patent filings in five families, 11 of them granted, according to Angiolutions. It has also appointed a medical board. It has released no trial data, and the trial record gives July 2026 as the estimated primary completion date.

The Technology: Shielding the Aneurysm From the Pulse

Aneurysms under about 5 cm are usually monitored, not treated, because existing stent grafts and open surgery carry risks that only pay off for large aneurysms. The A3-Shield sits in the aorta beside the aneurysm and stiffens the vessel there, to block the pulse waves that, according to the founders' research, drive growth. It is a class III implant, the highest risk category, which requires clinical data for approval. Whether it stops growth in humans is what the trial must show.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The award promised to complete development, run the first human study and submit for a CE mark. Development advanced, and the first patient was treated just before the project ended. The trial runs in Uzbekistan, outside the EU, and no CE submission has been announced. No final report is on CORDIS.

1. Delivery deviceDeliveredFinalised, per report.
2. Planning algorithmDeliveredBuilt, per report.
3. First-in-human studyStartedFirst patient Nov 2025.
4. CE mark submissionNot madeNone announced.

The Money

The EU paid 63% of the project. The report says commercialisation was to follow "with help of the investment component", but Angiolutions received the award as a grant, and no EIC Fund investment or private funding round has been announced. The March 2026 capital increase shows new shares were issued; who bought them and for how much is not public.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The company's report says aneurysms of the abdominal aorta kill more Europeans each year than traffic accidents, and most are found when no treatment is offered. A safe implant for small aneurysms would create a new category of care. Angiolutions has reached the clinic, but the evidence Europe needs will come from trials, and so far those are small and outside the EU.

The Verdict

Angiolutions and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.