Vergent Bioscience is a biotech company developing innovative molecular imaging probes for life science research, pharmaceutical development, and clinical diagnostics. 

Vergent is helping surgeons realize the full potential of minimally invasive and robotic surgery by significantly improving the visibility of tumors. 

Vergent Bioscience was founded in 2016 by Jeff Julkowski and Dean Banks. The company is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Vergent’s approach directly addresses the clinical need and market opportunity for advanced visualization in open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery procedures, while uniquely retaining the pricing flexibility required for success in a value-based healthcare system.

Vergent’s lead compound, VGT-309, is a tumor-targeted fluorescent imaging agent intentionally designed to enable surgeons to see previously undetected or difficult-to-find tumors during surgery in real-time, ensuring all tumor tissue is removed.

The VGT-309 imaging component is the near infrared (NIR) dye indocyanine green (ICG), which is compatible with all commercially available NIR intraoperative imaging systems that support MIS technologies and is the preferred dye to minimize confounding background autofluorescence.

Vergent is backed by Orlando Health Ventures, Spring Mountain Capital, Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Colle Capital, Windham Venture Partners, Rex Health Ventures, and others. The company closed a $21.5M Series B round on Oct 04, 2022. This brings Vergent's total funding to $34.4M to date.