French startup Sonomind says it has raised €20 million (about $21.6 million) to speed development of a new approach aimed at treatment-resistant depression, using low-intensity focused ultrasound.
The company is betting that precisely targeted ultrasound—delivered without surgery and without implanted electrodes—can help patients whose depression has not responded to standard drug therapies.
Targeting the brain where antidepressants fall short
Sonomind is focused on treatment-resistant depression, which it defines as cases in which at least two lines of medication have failed to produce a sufficient effect. The company points to a population estimated at several tens of millions of people worldwide, for whom available options remain limited and often invasive.
Its proposed alternative is noninvasive: focused ultrasound designed to target specific brain regions involved in mood regulation.
The technology is based on low-intensity focused ultrasound neuromodulation, an expanding research area drawing growing interest in clinical neuroscience. Sonomind says the key advantages are precise targeting and the absence of side effects associated with drug treatments or electrical interventions.
Bpifrance backs the funding round
Sonomind said the €20 million (about $21.6 million) raise was completed with support from Bpifrance, the French public investment bank—an institutional signal of confidence in the technology’s potential.
The funding supports a project that sits at the intersection of medtech and neurotechnology, two sectors where France is seeking to strengthen its position against U.S. and U.K. players.
Clinical trials and industrial scale-up next
Sonomind said the new capital will be used to continue clinical trials and to structure its industrial development. The startup did not specify a timeline for bringing the therapy to market or which geographies it would prioritize.
A crowded investment theme, but fewer noninvasive options for resistant depression
Investment in digital mental health and neurotechnology has surged in recent years, but noninvasive solutions aimed specifically at treatment-resistant depression remain relatively rare, according to the company’s positioning.
Sonomind is entering a segment where direct competition is limited, even as companies such as Neuralink and Medtronic work on broader neuromodulation approaches. With €20 million (about $21.6 million) and backing from Bpifrance, Sonomind argues it has a window to validate its approach clinically before the segment becomes more established.
