Bolt Medical

What Bolt Medical does

Bolt Medical, Inc. was a privately held medical device company headquartered in San Diego, California, founded in 2019, that developed the Bolt IVL (Intravascular Lithotripsy) system, an advanced laser-based platform for treating complex calcified arterial disease. The platform applies acoustic pressure waves delivered inside balloon catheters to fracture calcium in severely calcified lesions, with visible directional emitters for consistent energy delivery. Bolt organized the technology into three product lines: the Bolt IVL Coronary System (under FDA-approved FRACTURE IDE clinical investigation for severely calcified coronary lesions), the Bolt IVL Above the Knee (ATK) System, and the Bolt IVL Below the Knee (BTK) System, both supported by completed RESTORE pivotal clinical trials intended to support FDA and CE Mark submissions.

All Bolt IVL products were investigational devices not cleared for commercial distribution at the time of acquisition. The company operated as a development-stage business whose commercial activities were limited to clinical trial execution, regulatory submissions, and scientific dissemination through medical conferences and peer-reviewed publications. End users, once commercialized, would be interventional cardiologists and vascular surgeons treating patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Revenue was not generated prior to acquisition; value creation was driven by clinical milestones and platform optionality rather than product sales.

Bolt Medical was established with initial concept development from Boston Scientific, which held an approximately 26% strategic equity stake prior to full acquisition. On January 8, 2025, Boston Scientific announced a definitive agreement to acquire the remaining 74% of Bolt Medical for approximately $443 million upfront plus up to $221 million in regulatory milestones (equivalent to $600 million upfront and up to $300 million in milestones on a 100% basis), with the transaction closing in the first half of 2025. Bolt Medical is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX), and the Bolt IVL platform will be commercialized through Boston Scientific's global interventional cardiology and vascular sales infrastructure.

Name

Bolt Medical

Legal name

Bolt Medical, Inc.

Website

https://boltmed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bolt Medical developed the Bolt IVL intravascular lithotripsy platform — a laser-based catheter system that fractures calcium in severely calcified coronary and peripheral arteries — serving patients with PAD and CAD. Founded in 2019 and acquired by Boston Scientific in 2025 for up to $900 million.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interventional Cardiology Devices

NAICS

Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Peripheral Vascular Intervention (PAD Stents, Balloons, Atherectomy) (HLAHAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interventional Cardiology (PCI/Structural Heart) (HLAKABAB)

Keywords

• Intravascular lithotripsy
• Coronary artery devices
• Peripheral artery treatment
• Calcium modification catheters
• Interventional cardiology devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlsbad

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Core offering

Bolt Medical develops the Bolt IVL (Intravascular Lithotripsy) System, an advanced laser-based catheter platform that delivers acoustic pressure waves inside a balloon catheter to fracture calcium in severely calcified arterial lesions. The portfolio includes three investigational systems targeting coronary artery disease and peripheral artery disease (above-the-knee and below-the-knee), each supported by dedicated pivotal clinical trials.

Product overview

Bolt Medical develops the Bolt IVL (Intravascular Lithotripsy) system, a differentiated calcium modification platform for treating coronary and peripheral artery disease. The platform includes three main products: the Bolt IVL Coronary System for severely calcified coronary lesions (under FRACTURE IDE clinical investigation), and the Bolt IVL Above the Knee (ATK) and Below the Knee (BTK) systems for peripheral artery disease (RESTORE clinical trials completed). The technology uses acoustic pressure waves inside balloon catheters to fracture calcium, with visible directional emitters for consistent energy delivery. The company was established in 2019 with initial concept development from Boston Scientific, and was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2025 for up to $900 million. All products are investigational devices not yet cleared for commercial distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bolt IVL System: Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) advanced laser-based platform for treatment of coronary and peripheral artery disease, using acoustic pressure waves inside balloon catheters to fracture calcium

Products and services

• Bolt IVL Coronary System Intravascular lithotripsy system designed for the treatment of severely calcified coronary artery lesions, using acoustic pressure waves inside a balloon catheter to fracture calcium with visible directional emitters. Investigational device under the FDA FRACTURE IDE clinical trial, intended for interventional cardiologists and hospitals treating complex CAD.
• Bolt IVL Above the Knee (ATK) System Intravascular lithotripsy system for treatment of peripheral artery disease above the knee (superficial femoral and popliteal arteries) with moderate to severely calcified lesions. Supported by RESTORE ATK pivotal clinical trial data, intended for vascular surgeons and interventionalists treating PAD.
• Bolt IVL Below the Knee (BTK) System Intravascular lithotripsy system for treatment of peripheral artery disease below the knee with moderate to severely calcified lesions. Supported by RESTORE BTK pivotal clinical trial data, intended for vascular surgeons and interventionalists treating complex infrapopliteal PAD.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Penumbra Inc. Penumbra is expanding from neurovascular thrombectomy into peripheral vascular intervention with its Indigo aspiration system, addressing the same peripheral artery disease patient population served by Bolt's ATK and BTK IVL systems. Competes for procedural share in complex peripheral interventions.
• AngioDynamics: AngioDynamics markets peripheral thrombectomy and ablation catheters that address calcified and complex peripheral lesions in lower-extremity arteries, overlapping with the use case for Bolt IVL Below the Knee and Above the Knee systems. A smaller but direct procedural alternative.
• Avinger Inc. Avinger develops image-guided atherectomy catheters for peripheral artery disease, targeting the same calcified PAD lesions addressed by Bolt IVL. A small-cap niche competitor with an alternative mechanism rather than direct lithotripsy.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Scientific Corporation: Boston Scientific is Bolt Medical's parent company and the acquirer of record; it is also a broad incumbent in interventional cardiology and peripheral vascular with an existing coronary and endovascular portfolio that Bolt's IVL platform complements and competes alongside in catheterization labs.
• Philips (Image-Guided Therapy): Philips' Image-Guided Therapy business sells interventional imaging, IVUS, and laser atherectomy systems used in coronary and peripheral procedures that overlap with Bolt IVL's procedural setting. Broad incumbent shaping cath-lab purchasing decisions.
• Abbott: Abbott owns CSI's atherectomy franchise alongside its coronary stent and peripheral device portfolio, making it one of the most directly comparable broad incumbents in calcified lesion management. Competes at the hospital contracting and procedural choice level.
• Edwards Lifesciences: Edwards Lifesciences is a structural heart leader with growing presence in critical care and peripheral vascular, competing indirectly for cath-lab procedural budgets in hospitals where IVL adoption decisions are made. Less direct product overlap but similar customer base and sales motion.
• Medtronic: Medtronic is a broad incumbent in interventional cardiology and peripheral vascular intervention with drug-coated balloons, stents, and atherectomy devices that overlap with Bolt's peripheral and coronary addressable market. Provides procedural competition and bundle dynamics that shape IVL adoption.

Direct peers

• Shockwave Medical (Johnson & Johnson): Shockwave Medical pioneered intravascular lithotripsy and is the dominant IVL player in both coronary and peripheral artery disease, directly competing head-to-head with Bolt Medical's Bolt IVL platform. Acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2024, it is the company Bolt Medical must displace or co-exist with commercially.
• Cardiovascular Systems Inc. (Abbott): CSI (acquired by Abbott in 2023) markets orbital and rotational atherectomy systems for calcium modification in coronary and peripheral arteries — the closest non-IVL alternative to Bolt's lithotripsy approach. Competes for the same calcified lesion treatment decisions in cath labs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/boltivl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bolt-medical

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 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 Bolt Medical