Shockwave

Established: 2009

Investors: Sofinnova Partners

Sofinnova Partners backed Shockwave since July 2013 when it led the company’s Series A round as the sole institutional investor and stayed the board until the sale of the company to support Shockwave’s outstanding management team led by Doug Godshall. Shockwave’s acquisition by Johnson and Johnson showcases the strong ability of a leading European VC firm to spot blockbuster medical technology that has the potential to revolutionize heart disease treatment and improve the lives of patients globally.

Shockwave’s pioneering Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) technology is designed to safely fracture arterial calcifications which enables the blood vessel to open without trauma and blood to be delivered to the areas that were previously under-perfused. Calcified arteries can occur throughout the body, and they are the most difficult for interventional physicians to manage safely. Prior to the acquisition by J&J, the company commercialized IVL in 70 countries. Shockwave is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Sofinnova Partners was our first institutional investor, and they were pivotal in providing the funding and strategic guidance that enabled us to bring this technology to life and to patients. We are grateful for the support we received from Antoine throughout the years on the board, from the Series A through to the sale of the company. We now look forward to seeing Shockwave’s continued success under the management of Johnson and Johnson, a company with a strong medical device arm and a proven expertise in bringing groundbreaking treatments to patients.

1,468

full-time and part-time employees (as of 31/12/2023)

$132.6m

raised from VC total

$13.1bn

sale price to J&J

Shockwave is a testament to our belief in and commitment to groundbreaking medical innovations that make a positive impact in patient lives. Supporting Shockwave's talented team led by Doug Godshall as it transformed cardiovascular care has been an honor. We are excited to see how they continue to lead and innovate in the field under their new relationship with Johnson & Johnson.