DAMAE MEDICAL

Their core work

DAMAE Medical is a French medical device company developing optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems for non-invasive skin cancer diagnosis. Their core product uses 3D optical imaging to detect and characterize melanoma and other skin cancers without biopsies, providing clinicians with a diagnostic tool that reduces patient discomfort and procedure costs. Their work spans the full technology journey from clinical validation of the imaging concept through to product industrialization and commercialization. They combine deep expertise in optical imaging hardware with clinical oncology applications, specifically targeting the dermatology and onco-dermatology market.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

DAMAE Medical's H2020 trajectory shows a clear maturation arc: DERMAE (2015) was a small SME Phase 1 feasibility study (€50k) focused on clinical validation of the basic imaging concept, with no technology-specific keywords — typical of early-stage proof-of-concept work. By OCTAV (2019-2022), they had progressed to a full SME Phase 2 project (€2.4M) with a highly specific technical vocabulary: OCT, 3D imaging, smart atlas, onco-dermatology, melanoma, and industrialization. The shift from a generic "imaging device for dermatology" framing to a named disease target (melanoma), a named technology (OCT), and a commercial milestone (industrialization) signals a company that moved from research prototype to market-ready product over this period.

DAMAE Medical is on a commercialization trajectory — having completed industrialization and clinical trials under OCTAV, any future collaboration would likely focus on market access, clinical adoption, or integration of their OCT platform into broader diagnostic workflows rather than further basic R&D.

How they like to work

DAMAE Medical has operated exclusively as a project coordinator in both of their H2020 projects, which is characteristic of companies using the SME Instrument — a funding scheme designed for single-company innovation projects rather than consortium research. As a result, they show zero registered consortium partners across their EU portfolio, which means they have not built a visible collaborative network through H2020. For a prospective partner, this suggests they are independent technology developers who bring a complete, proprietary solution rather than a team player seeking co-development arrangements.

DAMAE Medical has no documented consortium partners from their H2020 participation, as both projects were run through the SME Instrument as solo initiatives. Their collaborative footprint within the EU research system is effectively limited to their own organizational boundaries.

What sets them apart

DAMAE Medical occupies a specific niche at the intersection of photonics and clinical oncology — they are building a non-invasive alternative to skin biopsy using OCT, a technology more commonly associated with ophthalmology, adapted for dermatology. Their dual success in both SME Phase 1 and Phase 2 instruments, culminating in an industrialization milestone, suggests they have taken the technology from lab to near-market — a stage many medical device startups fail to reach. For consortium builders, they bring a rare combination of a proprietary hardware platform, clinical trial experience, and a clearly defined disease target in an area (early melanoma detection) with strong regulatory and commercial tailwinds.

Highlights from their portfolio

• OCTAV
  The flagship project with €2.4M in EC funding, covering the full development arc from OCT device design through 3D imaging, smart diagnostic atlas, clinical trials, and industrialization — representing a near-complete product commercialization journey within a single EU grant.
• DERMAE
  A successful SME Phase 1 feasibility study that secured the foundation for the much larger OCTAV grant, demonstrating DAMAE's ability to translate early clinical evidence into fundable product development.