Sonomind secures €3 million to advance its novel neuromodulation ultrasound device and opens a new therapeutic pathway in psychiatry and neurology

Funds will enable company to launch a clinical trial in patients with drug-resistant depression and finalize development of its non-invasive technology

Sonomind’s personalized transcranial neuromodulation system enables non-invasive targeting of deep brain regions with unprecedented precision, addressing areas involved in wide range of psychiatric and neurological disorders

Paris, France, September 24, 2025 – Sonomind, a company developing a unique medical device for non-invasive, personalized ultrasound-based brain stimulation, today announces a €3 million ($3.53M) fundraising, including €2 million ($2.35M) in seed capital from Critical Path Ventures. It has also secured support from the French Government as part of the France 2030 initiative, benefitting from €1 million ($1.18M) in non-dilutive funding awarded through Bpifrance Deeptech development aid.

The funding will enable Sonomind, founded in 2024, to accelerate the development of its personalized therapy platform based on low-intensity ultrasound. The company plans to begin clinical trials within the next few months to evaluate its technology in the treatment of drug-resistant depression. 

“This funding demonstrates the continued confidence of our investors in Sonomind’s vision, technology, and our capacity to bring new therapeutic solutions to psychiatry and neurology. We are truly grateful for their ongoing support,” said Jeremy Bercoff, physicist, co-founder and president of Sonomind. “This brings us one step closer to our mission of providing an effective treatment for the millions of people living with depression—transforming a lifelong struggle into a renewed chance at life. Our ambition is to enable rapid, precise and side-effect-free treatment.”

Sonomind’s ultrasound-based, non-invasive neuromodulation technology has shown encouraging initial results in a first clinical feasibility study conducted to evaluate this technology on a small group of patients with severe depression. These initial results have been published in the Brain Stimulation Journal, where treatment was given over five consecutive days. Excellent tolerance and an average reduction of more than 60% in the severity of depression on the fifth day of the protocol were reported, and without any serious adverse events.

Depression affects 330 million people worldwide, according to the WHO, and remains the leading cause of disability. Approximately 30% to 50% of cases of depression are classified as resistant to medication. 

Sonomind’s innovation is based on more than 25 years of research at the Institute of Physics for Medicine (a joint research unit involving Inserm, ESPCI Paris – PSL, and CNRS), led by company co-founders Professors Mickael Tanter and Jean-François Aubry. The ultrasound waves are delivered through an acoustic lens that is custom designed for each patient. Sonomind’s unique innovation allows ultrasound waves to pass through the skull, compensating for skull thickness variations and enabling accurate targeting of deep brain structures in order to treat neuropsychiatric disorders.

“Sonomind is developing a truly groundbreaking innovation in psychiatry, backed by two decades of research at prestigious academic institutions and driven by an exceptional team of ultrasound and medtech specialists,” said Nicolas Foessel, CEO of Critical Path Ventures. “This approach was instrumental in our choice to support Sonomind. Mental health remains one of the world’s most pressing public health concerns, representing a market valued at $500 billion, where treatment resistance continues to be a significant challenge.” 

Legal advisers: Loïc-Emmanuel Pellegrino and Margaux Lesaine at Nova (for Sonomind); Antonin Cubertafond and Lisa Olhagaray from AGN Avocats (for Critical Path Ventures)

About Critical Path Ventures

Since 2022, Critical Path Ventures has been investing in innovative scientific research projects, providing financial support to startups created by researcher-entrepreneurs from the seed stage onwards.

Critical Path Ventures selects an average of six projects per year, often on a co-investment basis and mainly in the fields of physics, medicine, biotechnology, and robotics, promoting industrial development and job retention in France.

https://www.critical-path.fr/en

About Sonomind

Sonomind^TM is a medical device company dedicated to tackling drug-resistant depression and other neurological and psychiatric disorders using its groundbreaking ultrasound-based, non-invasive neuromodulation technology.  

Sonomind’s breakthrough innovation precisely targets the deep brain regions involved in depression in a non-invasive and entirely safe manner. This solution offers a new hope for the tens of millions in Europe – and 330 million worldwide – who live with drug-resistant depression, paving the way for effective treatments without side effects.

Based on 25 years of research at the Institute of Physics for Medicine (Inserm, ESPCI Paris – PSL, CNRS), led by Professors Mickael Tanter and Jean-François Aubry, the Paris-based company is headed by CEO Jérémy Bercoff and has 12 employees. Sonomind has already raised €3 million since its creation and enjoys the support of Bpifrance, Agoranov, Wilco, Parisanté Campus, and the Île-de-France Region.

www.sonomind.com