FineHeart and the EIC Accelerator: A Wireless Heart Pump Advances

FineHeart, founded in 2010 in Pessac near Bordeaux, makes FlowMaker, an implantable pump that sits in the heart, synchronises with its natural contractions and is powered wirelessly. The company says it needs no external driveline, unlike current heart assist devices, and its EIC project said 95% of patients with severe heart failure are "left without any solution", according to CORDIS.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,500,000 towards a €9.9 million project from October 2022 to March 2025, which aimed to "conduct the clinical trials to enter the EU market in 2026, then the US market". The final report says the first implantation in a human was completed, more than 50 clinical-grade devices were made and the technology moved from readiness level 5 to 8. The first implants took place at IKEM in Prague in 2024, according to FineHeart's announcement. In 2025 it won approval for studies in France and Slovenia, and in January 2026 it announced €83 million in funding. It has not yet applied for EU market approval.

Where FineHeart Stands Now

France's medicines agency ANSM authorised a multi-centre first-in-human study in June 2025, led by Pascal Leprince at Pitié-Salpêtrière, and Slovenia's JAZMP followed in July. In July 2025 FineHeart was named lead partner of IPCEI Tech4Cure, an Important Project of Common European Interest for implantable medical devices, jointly notified by six member states. The January 2026 funding included a €35 million first closing of a Series C and was described as a key lever for activating IPCEI public funding. At the end of 2024, before this money, FineHeart's equity was negative at minus €5.88 million, according to Pappers.

The Technology: A Pump Inside the Heart

According to the company, FlowMaker was implanted in Prague on a beating heart, without stopping it, and unlike other devices it needs no bypass to the aorta; its compact size and low energy use allow wireless power. The trial in France is designed to assess safety, implant feasibility and preliminary performance. No patient numbers or outcomes from the first implants have been published.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project promised the clinical trials needed to enter the EU market in 2026. It delivered the first human implants, manufacturing of clinical devices and regulatory approvals for multi-centre studies, and FineHeart plans to expand production space from 1,200 to 3,500 square metres. The trials that would support an EU application were only authorised after the project ended, which makes 2026 market entry out of reach on the public record. CORDIS still lists the project as signed.

1. First-in-human implantsDeliveredPrague, 2024.
2. Clinical manufacturingDelivered50+ devices.
3. Multi-centre trialsAuthorisedFrance, Slovenia, 2025.
4. EU market in 2026Not on trackNo CE application announced.

The Money

FineHeart lost €6.19 million in 2022, €8.21 million in 2023 and €7.65 million in 2024, and its equity fell from €10.7 million to minus €5.88 million over those years. The EIC grant covered a quarter of the project. The 2026 financing changes that picture, but FineHeart has not named its investors or broken down the €83 million.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The EIC project spoke of "EU sovereignty in severe heart failure treatment", and FineHeart now leads a six-country IPCEI for implantable devices. It has taken its pump into patients; whether it works over time is what the trials now starting will show.

The Verdict

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