Aurenar has closed a $5.7 million seed round, an oversubscribed financing co‑led by the Go Red for Women Venture Fund™ (American Heart Association Ventures) and Solas BioVentures. The capital will fund the clinical and regulatory development of V‑Link, Aurenar’s noninvasive transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) platform for patients in intensive care.
## Funding to reach a pivotal inflection point
The proceeds will be used to finalize device development, complete verification and validation (V&V) testing, and prepare regulatory submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Announced from St. Louis on July 28, 2026, the round also included investments from BJC Health and Kaleida Capital. According to founder and CEO Dr. Eric Leuthardt, every dollar has been allocated to milestone-driven work to make the company “ready for pivotal trials.”
## Technology born out of Washington University research
Aurenar is built on research led by Dr. Eric Leuthardt at Washington University in St. Louis. The company is translating that work into V‑Link, a bedside, noninvasive taVNS system designed to deliver targeted stimulation to the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. The approach is intended to provide a less invasive alternative to implanted VNS, tailored for use in critical‑care settings where modulation of autonomic and inflammatory pathways may support patient recovery. Aurenar’s immediate priorities are device validation and FDA engagement as it prepares to advance into clinical studies.
