Cooper University Health Care’s Innovation Center has announced a major milestone for the city’s burgeoning tech scene: a formal license agreement and $500,000 in equity financing for Upstream Access, Inc., a physician-led startup born within the halls of Cooper University Hospital.
Upstream Access is developing a revolutionary multi-directional vascular access system designed to streamline endovascular procedures. The financing was provided by Foundation Venture Capital Group (FVCG), an affiliate of the New Jersey Health Foundation (NJHF), signaling strong institutional confidence in the startup’s potential to transform care for patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD).
Currently, vascular surgeons often struggle to treat complex blockages because existing tools are designed to work in only one direction. This limitation frequently forces doctors to create multiple entry points in a patient’s body or stage multiple procedures, increasing the risk of complications and trauma.
The Upstream Access system changes the game with two core components:
- Balloon-anchoring sheath: An inflatable mechanism that secures the entry point, allowing surgeons to “pivot” the sheath to move in opposite directions from a single needle stick.
- Steerable U-turn catheter: A 360-degree steerable device that allows for precise wire placement in any direction.
“The Upstream Access system was designed to give vascular interventionists more options from a single-entry point, with the goal of simplifying procedures, reducing complications, and ultimately improving care,” Dr. Katherine McMackin, a vascular surgeon at Cooper and the company’s President and CEO, said.
The technology was co-invented by McMackin and Dr. Jeffrey Carpenter, a nationally recognized vascular surgeon and professor at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.
The launch of Upstream Access is a landmark for the Cooper Innovation Center,Linda representing one of the first medical device startups to spin out of the health system and establish operations directly in Camden. This “locally anchored” approach is a core part of Cooper’s strategy to foster job creation and commercialization activity within the city.
“Upstream Access exemplifies how Cooper clinicians are translating real-world clinical challenges into venture-backed companies,” Neal Lemon, director of the Cooper Innovation Center said.
With the $500,000 in initial equity now secured, Upstream Access is moving rapidly toward the following milestones:
- Prototype Refinement: Fine-tuning the current design based on proof-of-concept testing.
- Regulatory Pathway: Consultants have already identified an FDA 510(k) pathway for clearance.
- Expanded Financing: The company is currently pursuing a total seed round of $500,000 to $1 million to support validation testing and market entry.
James Golubieski, President and CEO of FVCG, noted that the investment reflects a commitment to clinician-driven innovation. “This investment reflects our confidence in the team and in the opportunity to bring a differentiated vascular access solution to market,” he stated.
