February 18, 2026
Pharaoh Neuro Secures $20 Million Series A and Appoints CEO and CMO to Advance Neurapheresis™ Platform
February 18, 2026
Amaza Reitmeier and Nandan Lad join Pharaoh after completion of oversubscribed financing to
accelerate development of Neurapheresis CSF Management System
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — February 18, 2026 — Pharaoh Neuro, Inc., a medical device company developing innovative solutions for neurocritical care, today announced the closing of an oversubscribed $20 million Series A financing and the appointments of Amaza Reitmeier as Chief Executive Officer and Nandan Lad, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer. The Series A was led by Arboretum Ventures, with participation from Hatteras Venture Partners, the Laerdal Million Lives Fund and IAG Capital Partners.
Proceeds from the financing will fund development and regulatory clearance of the company’s Neurapheresis™ Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Management System and support the U.S. reintroduction of the MindsEye™ Expandable Port, the world’s first expandable cranial access port for minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — February 18, 2026 — Pharaoh Neuro, Inc., a medical device company developing innovative solutions for neurocritical care, today announced the closing of an oversubscribed $20 million Series A financing and the appointments of Amaza Reitmeier as Chief Executive Officer and Nandan Lad, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer. The Series A was led by Arboretum Ventures, with participation from Hatteras Venture Partners, the Laerdal Million Lives Fund and IAG Capital Partners.
Proceeds from the financing will fund development and regulatory clearance of the company’s Neurapheresis™ Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Management System and support the U.S. reintroduction of the MindsEye™ Expandable Port, the world’s first expandable cranial access port for minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures.
Leadership to Drive Clinical Validation and Commercialization
Amaza Reitmeier joins Pharaoh Neuro as Chief Executive Officer with more than two decades of
global medtech leadership experience. She most recently served as Vice President & General
Manager of Neuromodulation at Medtronic, where she led the introduction of multiple
innovative technologies and scaled complex neurotechnology businesses. She holds an MBA
from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management (Medical Industry
Leadership Institute).
“I’m honored to join Pharaoh Neuro at this pivotal moment,” said Reitmeier. “Our platform has the potential to reshape the standard of neurocritical care. I’m excited to work with our engineers, clinicians, and partners to bring this innovation to patients.”
Dr. Nandan Lad has been appointed Chief Medical Officer. A Professor of Neurosurgery and Vice Chair for Innovation at Duke University, Dr. Lad is the inventor of Pharaoh Neuro’s core technology, which underpins the company’s clinical strategy and product roadmap. He also directs the Functional & Restorative Neuromodulation and Duke NeuroInnovations programs. He is a nationally recognized leader in neuromodulation and neurorestoration, with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and extensive experience leading multi-center clinical trials.
“As CMO and the inventor of this technology, I am deeply committed to ensuring its rigorous, evidence-based clinical introduction,” said Dr. Lad. “Our goal is to deliver a therapy platform that improves outcomes and earns the trust of patients and clinicians.”
“I’m honored to join Pharaoh Neuro at this pivotal moment,” said Reitmeier. “Our platform has the potential to reshape the standard of neurocritical care. I’m excited to work with our engineers, clinicians, and partners to bring this innovation to patients.”
Dr. Nandan Lad has been appointed Chief Medical Officer. A Professor of Neurosurgery and Vice Chair for Innovation at Duke University, Dr. Lad is the inventor of Pharaoh Neuro’s core technology, which underpins the company’s clinical strategy and product roadmap. He also directs the Functional & Restorative Neuromodulation and Duke NeuroInnovations programs. He is a nationally recognized leader in neuromodulation and neurorestoration, with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and extensive experience leading multi-center clinical trials.
“As CMO and the inventor of this technology, I am deeply committed to ensuring its rigorous, evidence-based clinical introduction,” said Dr. Lad. “Our goal is to deliver a therapy platform that improves outcomes and earns the trust of patients and clinicians.”
Advancing a New Standard in Neurocritical Care
For the more than 30,000 patients in the United States who require CSF management each year
— including those experiencing elevated intracranial pressure following subarachnoid
hemorrhage (SAH) and other acute brain injuries — current treatment relies on passive, open-
loop drainage systems. While life-saving, these systems carry persistent risks, including
infection, over-drainage, and the introduction of exogenous fluids.
Neurapheresis represents a fundamentally different approach: a closed-loop CSF management platform designed to circulate and filter a patient’s own (autologous) CSF without introducing replacement fluids. The safety and feasibility of the investigational system were evaluated in the PILLAR-XT clinical trial. [PILLAR-XT]
“With this financing and a strong, experienced team, we are building the platform to change a decades-old paradigm in neurocritical care,” said Reitmeier. “Neurapheresis represents an active, closed-loop approach to CSF management designed to reduce complications and give clinicians greater control in treating the most critically ill neurological patients.”
“There is significant unmet clinical need in neurocritical care for safer, more effective CSF management,” said Jeff Terrell, Partner at Arboretum Ventures and member of the Pharaoh Neuro Board of Directors. “Pharaoh Neuro now combines strong clinical evidence, differentiated platform technology and experienced executive leadership. We believe this financing positions the company to achieve key regulatory milestones and bring a meaningful advancement to patients and clinicians.”
Rich Nazarian, Board Chair of Pharaoh Neuro, added, “Amaza and Dr. Lad bring a powerful combination of operational excellence, clinical leadership and patient-focused innovation. With this financing and leadership team in place, Pharaoh Neuro is well positioned to turn breakthrough science into meaningful patient impact.”
Neurapheresis represents a fundamentally different approach: a closed-loop CSF management platform designed to circulate and filter a patient’s own (autologous) CSF without introducing replacement fluids. The safety and feasibility of the investigational system were evaluated in the PILLAR-XT clinical trial. [PILLAR-XT]
“With this financing and a strong, experienced team, we are building the platform to change a decades-old paradigm in neurocritical care,” said Reitmeier. “Neurapheresis represents an active, closed-loop approach to CSF management designed to reduce complications and give clinicians greater control in treating the most critically ill neurological patients.”
“There is significant unmet clinical need in neurocritical care for safer, more effective CSF management,” said Jeff Terrell, Partner at Arboretum Ventures and member of the Pharaoh Neuro Board of Directors. “Pharaoh Neuro now combines strong clinical evidence, differentiated platform technology and experienced executive leadership. We believe this financing positions the company to achieve key regulatory milestones and bring a meaningful advancement to patients and clinicians.”
Rich Nazarian, Board Chair of Pharaoh Neuro, added, “Amaza and Dr. Lad bring a powerful combination of operational excellence, clinical leadership and patient-focused innovation. With this financing and leadership team in place, Pharaoh Neuro is well positioned to turn breakthrough science into meaningful patient impact.”
About Pharaoh Neuro
Pharaoh Neuro, Inc. is a Minneapolis-based medical device company developing a novel
approach to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) management. Its investigational NeurapheresisTM CSF
Management System is a closed-loop platform designed to actively manage a patient’s own CSF.
The company’s portfolio also includes MindsEyeTM, the world’s first expandable cranial access
port. Pharaoh Neuro combines decades of medical device and neurosurgical expertise with a
mission to transform how clinicians treat the most critically ill neurological patients.
For more information, visit www.pharaohneuro.com
Media Contact
info@pharaohneuro.com
(612) 582-4037
(612) 582-4037
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. These statements relate to, among other things, the anticipated development and regulatory pathway for the Neurapheresis
CSF Management System and MindsEye Expandable Port. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and
are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks include, but are not limited
to, risks related to the development, regulatory review, and commercialization of medical devices. Pharaoh Neuro undertakes no
obligation to update forward-looking statements.
Copyright © 2026 Pharaoh Neuro. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2026 Pharaoh Neuro.
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved.