Sepsis, a severe inflammatory response triggered by infections, remains a primary contributor to childhood fatalities, with approximately 3 million children under five succumbing to the condition each year. Efferon, a startup recognized as one of the Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, aims to significantly reduce this alarming statistic. The company has engineered a medical device designed to decrease organ failure rates and expedite recovery in pediatric patients. In instances where conventional treatments, such as antibiotics, fail to mitigate the immune system’s excessive response, it becomes necessary to filter the patient’s blood to eliminate harmful toxins. Efferon’s devices, which act as absorbers of hazardous cytokines and toxins, play a pivotal role in this process.
Dima Romashin, co-founder and CEO of Efferon, likens the physiological events during sepsis to a fire, where an overwhelming immune response rapidly engulfs the body. “In a fire, there are two elements: the flame itself and the smoke it generates,” he explained, according to hinews. In the context of sepsis, endotoxins represent the flames, while cytokines symbolize the smoke. Efferon distinguishes itself from other market offerings by developing a mechanism capable of absorbing both simultaneously, as noted by Romashin.
While Efferon produces absorbers for adult patients, its pediatric device, Efferon NEO, specifically designed for younger children, has shown remarkable efficacy. Given that children possess a considerably lower circulating blood volume, they necessitate medical devices tailored to their unique physiological requirements, according to Romashin. In April, Efferon NEO obtained a CE mark, which is the European equivalent of FDA approval, making it the first multimodal blood purification device specifically created for pediatric sepsis.
Efferon NEO is currently utilized in intensive care units across 30 countries, including hospitals in Europe, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand. The company is now preparing to submit an application for FDA approval and anticipates reaching $2 million in annualized revenue by the conclusion of 2026. The technology behind the startup was initially developed by researchers at Moscow State University, including co-founder Ivan Bessonov. Recognizing its potential, Romashin, a seasoned entrepreneur, took on the role of CEO earlier this year to facilitate its commercialization. Although Romashin acknowledges that Efferon is not experiencing the rapid growth characteristic of contemporary AI startups, the true measure of the company’s success is fundamentally different: it is reflected in the number of children who are able to return home.
