Hartford Business Journal

8 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 12, 2026 Shot in the Arm Wallingford startup X9 raises $8.6M to develop dialysis needle technology gastroesophageal reflux and was acquired by CR Bard Inc. in 1997, and Acclarent, an ear, nose and throat device company acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2010. Taylor said his company is the ninth to be incubated by ExploraMed, which is why it is called X9. Before co-founding X9 with ExploraMed founder and executive chairman Dr. Joshua Makower, Taylor spent nearly two decades at Medtronic, the former U.S. Surgical, which is based in New Haven. "My background is in engineering," he said. "I've been in the medical device industry pretty much my whole career." DaVita, which operates about 2,800 dialysis centers nationwide, has also played a key role. Its DaVita Venture Group, the company's strategic investment arm, was the primary investor in X9's seed round and later led a Series B fundraising round. Taylor said most of the capital raised is being directed toward preparing the device for commercial- ization, while a portion will support expansion of X9's six-person staff, which could double over the next year. Federal approval Commercialization would require federal clearance to sell the device to the nation's more than 7,500 dialysis centers, including nearly 50 in Connecticut. Taylor said X9 has broken the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process into discrete steps, focusing first on demonstrating safety and effectiveness. "What you've got to do for the FDA is, you have to demonstrate safety and efficacy, and it makes it a lot easier when you can separate out some of those parts," he said. In October, X9 received FDA approval for an AI-supported ultra- sound-only version of its device. The company did a small study with the By David Krechevsky davidk@hartfordbusiness.com I f you've ever had blood drawn, you know how difficult it can be for a healthcare worker to stick a needle in a vein. Now imagine having two needles inserted into your arm two or three times a week — and then sitting with them in place for several hours. That's the reality for more than 555,000 people in the United States living with kidney failure who rely on dialysis. Dialysis is a medical treatment that uses a machine to perform the work healthy kidneys normally do — removing waste, excess salt and extra fluid from the blood. Connecting a patient to the machine requires a process known as cannulation, in which two needles are inserted into an arm vein. A Wallingford-based startup, X9 Inc., is developing technology designed to improve the needle-inser- tion step of dialysis treatment. Founded two years ago and based in a nondescript commercial building at 10 Research Parkway in Walling- ford, the company is working on a device that uses ultrasound, automa- tion and artificial intelligence to assist medical staff during cannulation and reduce the time and difficulty involved. The technology has already attracted investor interest. X9 has raised nearly $13.7 million to date, including about $8.6 million through a public offering completed in December. The funding will support continued development of the device and expansion of the company's six-person team. "Getting these needles safely in patients and monitoring those patients is a really important step," said Eric Taylor, X9's co-founder and vice presi- dent of research and development. A 'canal' for blood Cannulation can be challenging for both patients and providers, in part because placing the needles correctly is difficult, Taylor said. It's also important to avoid repeatedly inserting needles in the same spot, which can lead to aneurysms and other complications. Most dialysis patients rely on a surgically created access point — known as an arteriovenous, or AV, fistula or graft — that connects an artery to a vein. Cannulation creates a pathway — sometimes described as a "canal" — through which blood moves between the patient and the dialysis machine during treatment. Over time, repeated needle insertions can damage that access point, causing scarring or weakening of the vein. The device X9 is developing uses ultrasound to help guide where a needle should be placed and then inserts it. The intent, Taylor said, is to take human error out of the process and give healthcare workers AI-guided tools that "ensure that we place dialysis needles correctly and safely and quickly." X9's partners X9's progress toward developing and commercializing its device has been aided by partnerships with established players in the medical-de- vice and dialysis industries. One is ExploraMed, a Mountain View, California-based medical device incubator that provides early-stage companies with capital, engineering support and intellectual property resources. Another is DaVita Inc., one of the largest dialysis providers in the United States. ExploraMed has helped launch eight previous companies, including Endomatrix, which developed treatments for incontinence and AT A GLANCE X9 Inc. Industry: Biotechnology Founded: 2023 Top Executives: Earl "Eb" Bright, CEO and co-founder; Eric Taylor, co-founder and vice president of research and development HQ: 10 Research Parkway, Wallingford Money Raised: $13.67 million Employees: 6 RTX, Stanley Black & Decker and Boehringer Ingelheim have all been significant supporters of NextMinds, and the nonprofit recently signed a multiyear funding agreement with ASML, the Dutch semiconductor company that has its North American headquarters in Wilton. ASML has committed $775,000 over three years to support the expansion of NextMinds' learning management system, the develop- ment of industry-specific curricula — including in energy, manufacturing, sustainability and medicine — and the scaling of programs aimed at histori- cally underrepresented students. Brian Amero, ASML's program manager for society and community engagement, said NextMinds' focus on younger students aligns with his A Connecticut Invention Convention staff member collaborates with students. Contributed Photo company's long-term workforce development goals. "If we were to start this level of programming and approach at the high school level, it's too late — kids in many ways have already made up their minds, or they have not had that pipeline of experi- ences and exposure that really help build the fundamentals and build a strong foundation when it comes to STEM," Amero said. ASML and other companies also provide thousands of volunteers every year to help run events, mentor kids and judge competitions. "Our employees are really ener- gized to see the level of creativity and energy and excitement that students across the state of Connecticut bring to this particular program," Amero said. "I think they see themselves reflected in this next generation of engineers, scien- tists and community leaders." Beyond Borders Continued from page 7

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