What Iconeus does

Iconeus is a Paris-based medical imaging company that develops and commercializes functional ultrasound (fUS) systems for preclinical brain research. Founded in 2016 by the inventors of fUS at ESPCI Paris, the company sells the Iconeus One imaging platform — a plug-and-play system that uses plane-wave ultrasound to generate 2D and 3D maps of cerebral blood flow at high spatiotemporal resolution, exploiting neurovascular coupling to infer neuronal activity in mice, rats, non-human primates, and other small animals, with emerging human clinical research applications. The core hardware is complemented by a family of specialized probes (IcoPrime, IcoPrime-4D MultiArray, IcoBright-4D RCA) that leverage the company's patented XDoppler technology for sidelobe-artifact reduction, and by IcoStudio software that integrates the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas for automatic brain-region identification. Advanced capabilities include Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (ULM) for super-resolution microvascular imaging down to 6.5 micrometers and Physio-fUS for real-time cardiac/respiratory monitoring without separate sensors.

Iconeus monetizes through capital-equipment sales of the Iconeus One system and probes, software subscriptions, and add-on capabilities such as functional ULM, with quote-based multi-year contracts rather than list pricing. The go-to-market combines direct sales in North America and Western Europe with a distributor network spanning China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, and Eastern Europe; channels are reinforced by presence at SfN, FENS Forum, the fUSbrain workshop, and a webinar-driven content program. The customer base is anchored in academic neuroscience research institutions (Harvard, Caltech, UCLA, CNRS, INSERM, ICM, Tübingen, IIT, Fudan, Hôpitaux Universitaires Genève) and selectively in pharmaceutical/biotech (Biogen for Multiple Sclerosis research, Theranexus for neuropharmacology).

The company operates as a bootstrapped private entity (Iconeus SAS, France), with ~40 employees headquartered at a newly expanded Paris facility (September 2024) and a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary established in March 2026 to drive North American growth. Strategic priorities evident in the data include clinical translation (CONEXUS project for neonatal monitoring at Robert Debré Hospital), non-dilutive funding via EU and French research grants (PREMSTEM, CONEXUS), productization of super-resolution and volumetric imaging, and preparation for regulatory-grade commercialization in the United States.

Name

Iconeus

Legal name

Iconeus SAS

Website

https://iconeus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iconeus is a Paris-based company that develops and sells the Iconeus One functional ultrasound imaging system, a plug-and-play platform for high-resolution brain activity and microvascular imaging in preclinical and emerging clinical research, serving academic neuroscience labs and pharmaceutical companies globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Preclinical Imaging Systems

NAICS

Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845)

akta.pro primary industry

Ultrasound & Echography Systems (HLAHABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Radiology AI, CAD & Advanced Visualization Software (HLAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Functional ultrasound imaging
• Preclinical brain imaging
• Neuroimaging systems
• Ultrasound localization microscopy
• Cerebral blood flow imaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Iconeus One Imaging Systems: Sale of the Iconeus One functional ultrasound imaging system - a complete preclinical brain imaging platform for research institutions and pharmaceutical companies.
2. Specialized Ultrasound Probes: Sale of specialized probes including IcoPrime, IcoBright-4D RCA probes, and MultiArray probes for different imaging applications.
3. Software Suite Licenses: Licensing of IcoStudio software for data acquisition, processing, and analysis. Includes integration with Allen Mouse Brain Atlas.
4. Functional ULM (fULM) Add-on: Advanced functional ultrasound localization microscopy capability for dynamic microvascular imaging at super-resolution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Iconeus develops and sells the Iconeus One, a plug-and-play functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging system for high-resolution imaging of brain function and vasculature in preclinical studies. The platform is complemented by specialized ultrasound probes (IcoPrime, IcoPrime-4D MultiArray, IcoBright-4D RCA) and the IcoStudio software suite for data acquisition, processing, visualization, and atlas-based analysis. It enables real-time whole-brain hemodynamic mapping in mice, rats, and other small animals, with emerging clinical research applications including neonatal and human brain monitoring.

Product overview

Iconeus offers a unified functional ultrasound (fUS) neuroimaging platform consisting of the Iconeus One imaging system as the core product, complemented by specialized ultrasound probes (IcoPrime, IcoPrime-4D MultiArray, IcoBright-4D RCA) and IcoStudio software suite. The platform enables high-resolution, real-time brain imaging by detecting cerebral blood flow changes associated with neuronal activity through neurovascular coupling. The Iconeus One system supports both preclinical animal studies and emerging clinical research applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Iconeus One Plug-and-play functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging system for high-resolution imaging of brain function and vasculature in preclinical studies. Enables real-time whole-brain neuroimaging and hemodynamic mapping in mice, rats, and other small animals, with an emerging clinical research variant for human imaging.
• Iconeus Probes (IcoPrime, IcoPrime-4D MultiArray, IcoBright-4D RCA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Super-resolution imaging at 6.5 micrometer spatial resolution using functional ULM
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CONEXUS Project (French National Research Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2022Funded by French National Research Agency, the CONEXUS project aims to use functional ultrasound to monitor brain activity in newborns. Iconeus delivered the first clinical research edition of Iconeus One, installed at Robert Debré Hospital in Paris. Led by Charlie Demené at ESPCI/Physics for Medicine Paris, the 3-year project targets bedside monitoring of brain functional connectivity in neonates for early diagnosis of abnormal brain development.
• PREMSTEM Consortium (EU Horizon 2020)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2020Iconeus joined the PREMSTEM project funded by EU Horizon 2020 (€9M funding) to develop stem cell therapy for brain damage in premature infants. Project has 15 partners from 8 countries including Inserm, RMIT, universities in Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, and Chiesi Farmaceutici. Iconeus provides fUS imaging technology to develop and validate the therapy in animal models.
• BiogencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Biogen and Paris-based academic researchers (Physics for Medicine Paris, Sorbonne University) including Iconeus founders Mickael Tanter and Thomas Deffieux. First study using fUS imaging in a mouse model of Multiple Sclerosis to investigate functional responses to stimulation, demonstrating fUS can reliably measure demyelination through hemodynamic response changes.
• TheranexusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company collaboration on neuropharmacology research using fUS. Two studies demonstrated how fUS can characterize drug effects on the brain: one on donepezil/mefloquine combination for Alzheimer's disease, another on atomoxetine for ADHD. fUS provided quantitative assessment of brain function without anesthesia-induced bias.
• University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based research group using Iconeus One fUS and ULM imaging to study chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (chemobrain). Showed that paclitaxel has negative effects on neurovascular response and microvascular networks in mice, demonstrating cerebrovascular dysfunction contributes to CICI.
• Physics for Medicine PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research laboratory closely associated with Iconeus founders. Joint development of fUS technology, ULM methods, and clinical applications. Multiple co-authored publications and shared research programs including PREMSTEM and CONEXUS projects.
• Allen Institute for Brain SciencecoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal licensing agreement enabling Iconeus to include the Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinate Framework (CCF) in Iconeus One software. Provides automatic brain region identification, real-time probe positioning, and standardized acquisition capabilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Philips: Sells EPIQ and Affiniti ultrasound systems alongside broader clinical imaging. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose neurology and critical-care channels could intersect with clinical fUS.
• Siemens Healthineers: Major medical imaging incumbent with the ACUSON ultrasound line and large clinical neurology footprint. A credible potential entrant or acquirer in functional ultrasound for brain applications.
• GE HealthCare: Global leader in medical imaging including ultrasound (LOGIQ, Vivid) and broader clinical imaging. Represents both a potential clinical-translation channel for Iconeus and the most credible large-scale competitive threat if GE extends ultrasound into functional brain imaging.
• Mindray: Large global ultrasound and patient monitoring manufacturer with strong distribution in Asia-Pacific. Comparable as a broad incumbent that could target neuroscience or functional imaging adjacencies.
• Bruker: Manufactures preclinical MRI and imaging systems used widely in neuroscience research labs. Competes with Iconeus for the same neuroscience capital budgets via an alternative imaging modality, and is many orders of magnitude larger.
• Canon Medical Systems: Manufacturer of Aplio ultrasound systems and broader diagnostic imaging. Relevant broad incumbent in the ultrasound category that may pursue functional or neurological imaging extensions.

Emerging players

• Miltenyi Biotec: Provides integrated neuroscience research tools, including imaging-adjacent platforms for cell and tissue analysis. Comparable as a closely related emerging player serving the same neuroscience research workflows.
• Aspect Imaging: Specializes in compact preclinical MRI systems for small-animal imaging. Comparable as a focused emerging player addressing the same neuroscience and preclinical research buyers with an alternative modality.

Regional players

• Esaote: Italy-headquartered specialist in ultrasound and dedicated MRI, with strong presence in Europe. Comparable as a regional ultrasound incumbent whose focus and geography overlap with Iconeus's primary markets.

Direct peers

• Fujifilm VisualSonics: Provides high-frequency ultrasound imaging systems (Vevo) for preclinical small-animal research. Most directly comparable peer to Iconeus in the preclinical ultrasound space, though VisualSonics covers broader organ systems rather than specializing in brain functional imaging.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@iconeus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iconeus
• Xx.com/iconeus
• Facebookfacebook.com/Iconeus-975224632642533

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Iconeus