Azalea Vision announced the first closing of its €15 million Series A funding round, raising €9 million along with the appointment of Robert J. Dempsey as chairman of the board to guide strategic growth in the European and US markets.

Mr. Dempsey brings more than 3 decades of experience in the eyecare industry, having served in leadership roles including CEO, chairman, and board advisor. He previously led the build-out of Shire’s ophthalmic business.

The Series A funding will support the execution of Azalea Vision’s first-in-human (FIH) pilot clinical trial, a key milestone in establishing the safety and performance of its medically intelligent ocular technology platform. The goal is to receive Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, continue the clinical trials, and further advance commercialization efforts.