Hy2Care

What Hy2Care does

Hy2Care B.V. is a Netherlands-based medical device company founded in 2014 as a spin-off of the Tech Med Centre of the University of Twente, with headquarters and laboratories at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen. The company is developing the CartRevive® hydrogel implant, an in-situ forming hydrogel based on natural polymers (dextran and hyaluronic acid) that mimics joint tissue. The implant is designed to fill traumatic focal cartilage defects in the knee without cutting or fixation, solidify within approximately 60 seconds, integrate with surrounding tissue, and create a porous scaffold that allows the patient's own cells to infiltrate and deposit new cartilage matrix. The intended use case is prevention of post-traumatic osteoarthritis in patients aged 18-50 with trauma-related cartilage damage from sports injuries, slips, or falls.

The company is pre-commercial. Its go-to-market model is direct-to-hospital sales of the single-use implantable device to orthopedic surgery departments following regulatory approval, with planned EU commercial availability in early 2027 contingent on CE marking and US entry following FDA IDE approval and US clinical trials. To date it has secured approximately €16M across a €3.7M Series A (2019, Brightlands Venture Partners-led), a €6M EU EIC Accelerator award (2022) with a Series A expansion, and a €4.5M round in May 2025. Operational execution is supported by contracted CMO (Symeres), fill/finish (Basic Farma), device design (BAAT Medical), and CRO (Avania) partners, alongside clinical trial sites at UMC Utrecht, Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis, Maastricht UMC+ and Martini Ziekenhuis Groningen, with 46 patients treated in the ACTIVE clinical study.

Hy2Care has accumulated material regulatory and recognition milestones: FDA Breakthrough Device Designation (2023), ISO 13485 certification (2023), FDA IDE approval (2025), MedFIT Most Innovative Project in MedTech (2021), and selection for the MedTech Innovator 2026 Accelerator Cohort. Revenue mechanics rely on unit sales of the CartRevive implant and reimbursement from national healthcare systems and insurance providers post-approval; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Future expansion is signaled for additional joints (kneecap, hip) and adjacent R&D via the OPzuid INTELLECTUAL cartilage-on-a-chip consortium.

Name

Hy2Care

Legal name

Hy2Care B.V.

Website

https://hy2care.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hy2Care is a Netherlands-based medical device company developing the CartRevive® injectable hydrogel implant for functional recovery of traumatic cartilage defects in the knee, targeting prevention of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Pre-commercial, with EU launch planned early 2027 following CE mark and US entry after FDA IDE approval.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Orthopedic Regenerative Medicine / Cartilage Repair Medical Devices

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro primary industry

Orthopedic Joint Reconstruction Implants (Hip/Knee/Shoulder/Elbow/Ankle) (HLAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cartilage, Bone & Musculoskeletal Regeneration (HLAAAGAH)

Keywords

• Cartilage repair hydrogel
• Injectable medical implant
• Orthopedic regenerative medicine
• Osteoarthritis prevention
• Biomaterial medical device

Headquarters

HQ city

Enschede

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Medical Device Sales: Pre-commercial stage. The company is developing the CartRevive hydrogel implant for cartilage repair. Planned commercial launch in the European Union early 2027, subject to CE mark approval. Reimbursement from national healthcare systems and insurance providers will be pursued upon approval.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hy2Care is developing the CartRevive® hydrogel implant, a single medical device product: an injectable, in-situ forming hydrogel based on joint-tissue-mimicking natural polymers (dextran and hyaluronic acid) that fills focal cartilage defects in the knee, solidifies within approximately 60 seconds without cutting or fixation, and creates a porous scaffold enabling the patient's own cells to deposit new cartilage matrix for natural cartilage repair. The product is intended to treat traumatic focal cartilage defects to prevent post-traumatic osteoarthritis, with planned EU commercial launch in early 2027 following CE mark approval.

Product overview

Hy2Care offers a single unified product focused on cartilage repair: the CartRevive® hydrogel implant. This injectable hydrogel medical device is designed for functional recovery of traumatic focal cartilage defects in the knee, created to address post-traumatic osteoarthritis prevention. The unique composition creates a natural scaffold that enables the body's own healing mechanism to repair damaged cartilage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CartRevive®: The CartRevive hydrogel implant developed for functional recovery of cartilage defects in joints. It is based on joint-tissue mimicking natural polymers and aims to protect the injured site and facilitate natural repair.
• KneeReviver

Products and services

• CartRevive® Hydrogel Implant The CartRevive® hydrogel implant is an in-situ forming, injectable medical device based on joint-tissue-mimicking natural polymers (dextran and hyaluronic acid) that fills focal cartilage defects in the knee without cutting or fixation, solidifies within approximately 60 seconds, integrates with surrounding tissue, and creates a porous scaffold that enables the patient's own cells to deposit new cartilage matrix for natural cartilage repair. It is intended for orthopedic surgeons and hospitals treating adult patients aged 18-50 with traumatic focal cartilage defects to prevent post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.5x the threshold for clinical relevance at 12 months in pain and mobility scores
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brightlands Chemelot CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHy2Care's headquarters and laboratory facilities are located at Brightlands Chemelot Campus, a key innovation hub in south Limburg. Provides access to extensive network and facilities for polymer synthesis and clinical care.
• BAAT MedicalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner working with Hy2Care on the design of the technology and preparing for commercialization.
• SymerescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMO (Contract Manufacturing Organization) partner that produces polymers under strict cGMP conditions according to Hy2Care's specifications.
• Basic FarmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Hy2Care with formulation and filling of the injection device.
• AvaniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRO (Clinical Research Organization) partner supporting Hy2Care in managing the clinical trial.
• UMC UtrechtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead investigation site for the ACTIVE clinical study. Dr. Roel Custers serves as principal investigator. The Medical Ethical Review Committee of UMC Utrecht granted approval for the clinical study.
• Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis (ETZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical trial site for the second phase of the ACTIVE study, expanding from UMC Utrecht.
• Maastricht UMC+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical trial site for the second phase of the ACTIVE study, expanding from UMC Utrecht.
• Martini Ziekenhuis GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical trial site for the second phase of the ACTIVE study.
• OPzuid INTELLECTUAL Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner€2.1 million subsidized project to develop an advanced cartilage-on-a-chip platform (INTELLECTUALS-chip/IN-Chip). Consortium includes Chiron, University of Twente, TNO, Medace, and Maastricht University. The project aims to better mimic human joint tissue for OA treatment testing while reducing animal testing.
• ChironminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the OPzuid INTELLECTUAL project, collaborating on the cartilage-on-a-chip platform development.
• TNOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the OPzuid INTELLECTUAL project consortium for cartilage-on-a-chip platform development.
• MedaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the OPzuid INTELLECTUAL project consortium for cartilage-on-a-chip platform development.
• Maastricht UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the OPzuid INTELLECTUAL project consortium for cartilage-on-a-chip platform development.
• University of TwentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpin-off origin of Hy2Care. The Developmental BioEngineering group led by Prof. Marcel Karperien developed the groundbreaking hydrogel technology. The university is co-shareholder via Novel-T.
• MedTech InnovatorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSelected for the 2026 Accelerator Cohort, providing access to world's largest MedTech accelerator program with networking opportunities, strategic partners, clinicians, and industry experts for commercial growth acceleration in the US market.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vericel Corporation: Vericel markets MACI (autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane), the dominant FDA-approved cartilage repair product. Directly competes with Hy2Care's CartRevive in the same orthopedic surgeon customer base treating focal cartilage defects of the knee.
• Smith & Nephew (CartiHeal): Smith & Nephew acquired CartiHeal, developer of the Agili-C implant for cartilage and osteochondral defects, which received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and Premarket Approval. Competitor in the same cartilage regeneration category with regulatory pathway parallels.
• Anika Therapeutics: Anika offers hyaluronic acid-based viscosupplementation products (e.g., Monovisc, Orthovisc) for osteoarthritis pain management. Comparable in using hyaluronic acid technology in joint applications, though currently focused on symptom relief rather than cartilage regeneration.
• Geistlich Pharma (Chondro-Gide): Geistlich's Chondro-Gide collagen membrane is widely used in matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) procedures for cartilage repair. A leading supplier in the cartilage repair surgical workflow competing for surgeon adoption.
• TETEC AG (NOVOCART): TETEC develops NOVOCART, a tissue-engineered cartilage product using autologous chondrocytes on a collagen scaffold, for treatment of cartilage defects. European-based direct competitor with overlapping clinical and commercial pathways.

Emerging players

• Histogenics (formerly): Histogenics developed NeoCart, an autologous cell-based cartilage repair implant using a tissue engineering process. Operated in the same orthopedic cartilage repair space before restructuring; illustrative of the challenges and competitive dynamics in this market.
• Bioventus: Bioventus offers osteoarthritis pain management and orthopedic solutions including HA-based injectables. Operates in adjacent joint preservation therapies, with overlapping orthopedic customer base but different therapeutic mechanism.
• Mesoblast: Mesoblast develops cellular therapies for inflammatory diseases including osteoarthritis (e.g., Rexlemestrocel-L). Competes in the regenerative medicine space for cartilage-related indications and represents an emerging alternative approach to cartilage repair.

Broad incumbents

• Arthrex: Arthrex is a leading orthopedic device company with a broad portfolio including cartilage repair tools, microfracture instruments, and the Autocart system for autologous cartilage harvest. Major competitor for surgeon mindshare in cartilage repair procedures.
• Stryker Corporation: Stryker operates a large orthopedic and sports medicine portfolio that includes cartilage repair-related surgical products and instrumentation. Broad incumbent with significant R&D resources and established hospital relationships in the orthopedic space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hy2care-bv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hy2Care