RESPINOVA LTD

Their core work

Respinova is an Israeli medical device company developing PulseHaler™, a treatment device for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that targets small airway constriction and loss of lung function. The company has progressed from feasibility study through full commercialization phases using EU SME Instrument funding. Their core product addresses a major unmet need in respiratory medicine — treating the small airways that conventional inhalers cannot effectively reach. More recently, they expanded their scope to include COVID-19-related respiratory damage.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Respinova followed a textbook SME Instrument trajectory: starting with a EUR 50,000 Phase 1 feasibility study in 2017 (PulseHaler), then scaling to a EUR 2.4M Phase 2 full development project (STOP-COPD) in 2019. The early-period keyword data is empty because the Phase 1 project had no detailed keywords, suggesting it was still in the concept validation stage. By 2021, the company had refined its focus on COPD while opportunistically expanding to COVID-19 respiratory damage with OPEN-LUNGS, demonstrating the adaptability of their core PulseHaler™ technology to new respiratory conditions.

Respinova is moving from single-disease focus (COPD) toward a broader respiratory treatment platform, with COVID-19 lung damage as the first expansion — expect further application to other chronic respiratory conditions.

How they like to work

Respinova operates exclusively as a solo coordinator — all three projects were single-beneficiary SME Instrument grants with zero consortium partners. This is typical for early-stage medical device startups using EU funding to de-risk product development rather than to build research networks. Working with them would mean engaging a focused, product-driven company rather than an experienced consortium partner.

Respinova has no recorded consortium network from H2020 — all three projects were single-beneficiary SME Instrument grants. Their collaboration network, if any, exists outside the EU framework programme system.

What sets them apart

Respinova is a rare example of an Israeli SME that secured both Phase 1 and Phase 2 SME Instrument funding, plus a follow-on grant, for the same core technology — indicating strong EU evaluator confidence in their product. Their PulseHaler™ occupies a specific niche: non-pharmaceutical treatment of small airway disease, which differentiates them from both pharma companies and generic device manufacturers. For potential partners, they offer a focused, validated medical device platform with clear IP and a defined path to market in respiratory care.

Highlights from their portfolio

• STOP-COPD
  Largest project at EUR 2.4M (SME Phase 2), representing the main commercialization push for PulseHaler™ with the most detailed technical scope on small airway treatment.
• OPEN-LUNGS
  Strategic pivot to include COVID-19 respiratory damage (2021), demonstrating platform versatility and securing EUR 880K in additional funding during the pandemic.