About Bridge to Life
Bridge to Life helps transplant centers and organ procurement groups preserve donated organs before surgery. It supplies preservation fluids, machine-perfusion solutions and small tubes used during perfusion. VitaSmart preserves donor livers with oxygen at low temperatures, an approach called hypothermic oxygenated perfusion. The portfolio also includes Belzer UW, Belzer MPS and EasiSlush. The company works with transplant organizations worldwide.
Bridge to Life operates from Duluth, Georgia. Don Webber is chief executive officer and president. Brian Lenz became chief financial officer in September 2025 after more than 20 years in financial leadership. He previously spent 12 years at ADMA Biologics and was chief financial and operating officer at CorMedix. Across his career, he raised over $1 billion and helped take two companies public. He had also served on Bridge to Life’s board for about two and a half years. The company keeps at least 60 days of global inventory and uses multiple exclusive suppliers to protect availability.
Funding Rounds (SEC Form D)
| First sale | Filed with SEC | Amount sold | Investors | Avg. check | Terms | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | $82,500,000fully sold | 12 | $6.8M | EquityRule 506(b) | Form D ↗ |
| Aug 7, 2024 | Aug 28, 2024 | $1,000,000fully sold | 1 | $1.0M | EquityRule 506(b) | Form D ↗ |
| Total, two offerings | $83,500,000 | |||||
First sale is the date the first investor in the offering committed to invest. Companies must file Form D within 15 days of that date, so filing dates run later.
Rounds announced by Bridge to Life
What the company said publicly about its funding. Announced amounts can differ from Form D figures: an announcement can combine several closings, and some money is raised without a Form D.
| Announced | Round | Amount | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2026 | Series C and debt financing | $110 million | Soleus Capital (lead), Lauxera Capital Partners; Bridge to Life directors, officers and employees; Soleus Capital Credit Opportunities Fund as debt provider | Bridge to Life financing announcement ↗ |
| Aug 19, 2021 | Growth financing: secured credit facility and Series A preferred equity | $56 million | Perceptive Advisors (lead), Peter Maag | Bridge to Life growth financing announcement ↗ |
Why Investors Backed Bridge to Life
Bridge to Life pairs established organ-preservation products with a newer liver-perfusion system. Its investment case rests on regulatory progress, early clinical use and a pipeline aimed at more transplant applications. New financing will support the U.S. launch, further product development and global expansion.
The problem it targets
Transplant teams often must decide whether to use a donated organ through visual inspection, donor details, clinical judgment and indirect measurements. Bridge to Life argues this leaves uncertainty around marginal and extended-criteria grafts. Its viability program aims to add objective decision support, helping surgeons make more consistent acceptance decisions and reduce preventable organ non-use. The tool remains investigational and unavailable for sale.
What the product does
The VitaSmart system received FDA De Novo clearance in January 2026, making it the first and only hypothermic oxygenated perfusion system authorized for liver transplantation. Belzer MPS received broader labeling for all abdominal organs. Bridge to Life holds exclusive rights to Belzer UW and MPS from the University of Wisconsin and owns EasiSlush. It is also developing a viability tool and closed transport systems. Its three-year pipeline targets uses beyond liver transplantation.
Progress so far
Duke University Hospital became the first U.S. transplant center to implement VitaSmart commercially in March 2026. Its first case preserved a liver from a donor declared dead after circulatory death. Before the U.S. launch, the system had supported thousands of liver transplants over several years in the European Union. End-ischemic perfusion data showed trends toward fewer graft failures, steroid-resistant rejections and biliary complications. Don Webber said academic centers adopted VitaSmart faster than expected. On November 3, 2026, a Health Canada medical-device license made VitaSmart available across Canada. The FDA also granted Breakthrough Device Designation for an investigational use.
Who backs it
Soleus Capital led the equity portion of the 2026 financing, with Lauxera Capital Partners and company insiders participating. A Soleus credit fund supplied the debt. Soleus partner Ben Lund cited the preservation franchise, cleared platform, early adoption and product pipeline. Lauxera’s Samuel Levy emphasized the difficulty of moving transplant devices into routine use. Perceptive Advisors led the 2021 growth financing. The latest proceeds also refinanced Perceptive’s credit facility, reducing debt and the interest rate.
How the market is moving
In August 2026, UK NICE issued guidance recommending routine NHS funding for VitaSmart. Across organ perfusion, clinical consensus is moving toward oxygen delivery, though temperature remains debated. A review identified six randomized trials of hypothermic liver perfusion. It reported benefits in early graft dysfunction, postoperative complications and later biliary problems. Two meta-analyses found improved graft and patient survival. Normothermic systems are more complex and costly, though supporters argue they can extend preservation and allow fuller assessment before transplant.
We wrote this summary from public statements by Bridge to Life and its investors. It is not investment advice.
Bridge to Life in the News
Leadership Team
Executive officers and directors listed on Bridge to Life's Form D filed Oct 21, 2026.
Earlier filings also listed Stevan Schweighardt (director, last listed Aug 2024), Sam Chawla (director, last listed Aug 2024), David Gill (director, last listed Aug 2024), Darren Freed (director, last listed Aug 2024) and Bob Beechey (cfo and secretary, last listed Aug 2024).