Vergent Bioscience
Vergent Bioscience is testing an injectable dye that makes lung tumours glow during keyhole and robotic surgery, so surgeons can find small or hidden tumours and check that all of the cancer has been removed.
Overview
Vergent Bioscience is a clinical-stage company in Minneapolis developing abenacianine for injection (VGT-309), a tumour-targeted fluorescent imaging agent for minimally invasive and robotic-assisted cancer surgery. Abenacianine is a quenched activity-based probe that binds cathepsin proteases overexpressed in tumours and fluoresces in the near-infrared range. The lead indication is lung cancer. The phase 2 VISUALIZE trial completed enrolment in November 2024 and 2025 results showed improved tumour visibility during lung surgery; the FDA granted Fast Track designation in January 2025 and the pivotal phase 3 VISUALIZE 2 study began in March 2026. The company states it has raised more than USD 34 million; SEC Form D filings record equity sales of USD 21.5 million in 2022 and USD 18.7 million in October 2025 plus smaller convertible note offerings. Abenacianine is investigational and not approved for any indication.
Funding
All startupsInvestors not recorded; see the round sources.
| Round | Year | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form D offering · Equity offering of up to USD 31.96 million, first sale 7 October 2025, USD 18.67 million sold at filing | 2025 | $19M | sec.gov |
| Form D offering · Equity offering of USD 22.09 million, first sale 17 August 2022, USD 21.54 million sold at filing | 2022 | $22M | sec.gov |
Amounts only where the cited source states them. Rounds without a public source are not listed.
Notes
top- Investor names are shown as logos on the investors page and could not be read from the fetched text, so investors is empty. Named round letters (Series A/B) were not found in press releases; Form D totals are used instead. The cathepsin mechanism is from general knowledge of VGT-309 rather than the fetched pages. Founding year not stated.
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