Nanordica Medical and the EIC Accelerator: A Wound Dressing Waits
Nanordica Medical, based in Tallinn, has developed a wound dressing that combines silver and copper nanoparticles to fight infection. Its target is infected diabetic foot ulcers. Its two patent applications, filed in the US and Europe in October 2023, cover "enhanced antimicrobial efficacy (synergy) of silver and copper compounds", according to its EIC project report.
The European Innovation Council granted €2,402,750 towards NANOWOUND, a €3.4 million project from April 2023 to March 2026. A randomised pilot in 30 patients, published in the Journal of Wound Care in April 2026, found wound area fell by 43% after a week with Nanordica's dressing against 13% with Convatec's Aquacel Ag+ Extra. In May 2024 the company said a multicentre trial of 170 patients would begin that quarter; in June 2026, raising €1.6 million, it reported more than 120 patients enrolled and CE marking still to come.
Company file
- Legal entity
- Nanordica Medical OÜ, Tallinn, Estonia
- CEO and co-founder
- Olesja Bondarenko
- Product
- Premotiv silver-copper nanoparticle wound dressing
- Investors
- 2C Ventures, Specialist VC, Superangel, Amalfi, Health Founders, EstBAN syndicate
- Other public funding
- Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, €1.66M project
- EIC project
- NANOWOUND, 1 Apr 2023 to 31 Mar 2026
- EIC funding
- Grant first
Where Nanordica Stands Now
The June 2026 round was led by the Estonian fund 2C Ventures, with Specialist VC, Superangel, Amalfi, the Health Founders syndicate and the EstBAN angel syndicate. Chief executive Olesja Bondarenko said it would enable "completion of clinical studies and CE marking for European commercial launch". The company's funding page also lists a €1.66 million project with the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency and several smaller national grants.
The record
A promising pilot, a slower big trial
Nanordica's 30-patient pilot was published in 2026. Its larger trial, planned to start in 2024 with 170 patients, had enrolled over 120 by June 2026, and the dressing had no CE Mark.
- Jun 2022EIC Accelerator cut-offNANOWOUND: silver-copper nanoparticle dressinggrant first
- Apr 2023EIC project startsThree years€2.40M grant
- Oct 2023Patent applicationsUS and European, silver-copper synergy
- May 2024Seed roundSpecialist VC leads, with Superangel and Amalfi€1.75M
- Q2 2024Large trial planned170 patients with diabetic foot ulcers
- Mar 2026EIC project endsNo CE Mark
- Apr 2026Pilot publishedJournal of Wound Care: 43% vs 13% wound-area reduction
- Jun 2026Funding round2C Ventures leads; 120+ patients enrolled€1.6M
CORDIS, Nanordica, Journal of Wound Care and EstBAN.
"Our next goal is to get the product to the market and in the hands of patients."
Olesja Bondarenko, co-founder and CEO, Nanordica Medical, May 2024The Technology: Two Metals Against Infection
The dressing is produced by electrospinning; the EIC report says the team adjusted temperature and humidity settings to reduce batch-to-batch variation in metal content and reached design freeze. In the pilot, bacterial load in the wound did not change significantly with Nanordica's dressing but rose with the comparator, and the company said no adverse events occurred. Six of the paper's ten authors were Nanordica employees, and the study was funded in part by the EIC.
The evidence
Wound area reduction after one week
Pilot trial in 30 patients with infected diabetic foot ulcers, against Aquacel Ag+ Extra. Six authors were Nanordica employees.
Journal of Wound Care, April 2026 (PMID 41926471).
What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows
The EIC project
The EU paid 70% of a €3.4M project
NANOWOUND ran from April 2023 to March 2026. CORDIS still lists it as signed.
CORDIS project 190199469. Values in € millions.
The only published report, for the first year, lists design freeze, the regulatory testing needed for CE marking, a quality system being set up, a large trial protocol submitted to a Spanish ethics committee, meetings with 132 distributors and letters of intent with two. The project ended in March 2026 with the pivotal trial unfinished and no CE Mark. CORDIS still lists the project as signed.
- Design freezeDeliveredPer first-year report.
- Pilot clinical evidencePublished30 patients, 2026.
- Large trialEnrolling120+ of 170.
- CE Mark and launchNot yetStill planned.
The pivotal study
The large trial: planned against enrolled
Patients with diabetic foot ulcers. The trial was planned to start in Q2 2024; the enrolment figure is "over 120" as of June 2026.
EstVCA, May 2024; EstBAN, June 2026.
The Money
Nanordica raised €1.75 million in May 2024, led by Specialist VC, and €1.6 million in June 2026, led by 2C Ventures, according to EstVCA and EstBAN. Together the two rounds came to €3.35 million, more than the EIC grant. The company does not publish revenue and has no product on sale.
What Cannot Be Checked
Questions for the EIC
Why the large trial is taking longer than planned, when the CE application will be filed, and what the project's final report says are not public.
Why Europe Should Care
In a 30-patient pilot, Nanordica's dressing shrank diabetic foot ulcers faster than a leading silver dressing. The EIC paid most of the development. The dressing is still not available to patients, and its company raises money in small rounds.
What the project promised
An antibacterial nanotech dressing brought to market to improve wound care.
What the record shows
Strong pilot results, a pivotal trial still enrolling and no CE Mark when the project ended.
The Verdict
Good early data, slow road to market
Nanordica produced published evidence that its dressing works in a small trial. The EIC project ended before the pivotal trial and the approval that would let patients use it.
Nanordica Medical and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.
Industry
HealthMedical devices
- Focus
- Skin and wound care devices
- Technologies
- Nanoparticles
- Electrospinning
- Keywords
- Diabetic foot ulcers
- Wound infection
- Antimicrobial dressings
- Silver and copper