Efferon wants to eradicate the devastating toll of pediatric sepsis

Sepsis, an acute inflammation triggered by infection, claims roughly 3 million children under the age of five annually, making it a leading cause of childhood mortality worldwide. Efferon, a startup recognized as one of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026’s Startup Battlefield 200, is striving to significantly reduce this devastating toll. The company has engineered a medical device that lowers organ failure rates and expedites recovery for children when standard treatments, like antibiotics, fail to halt the immune system's overreaction.

At such times, a patient's blood must be filtrated to eliminate lethal toxins. This is where Efferon's devices, which absorb dangerous cytokines and toxins, play a critical role. Co-founder and CEO Dima Romashin likens sepsis to a fire, with endotoxins being the flames and cytokines the smoke. Unlike other devices on the market, Efferon has developed a mechanism capable of absorbing both toxins simultaneously.

Specifically tailored for young kids, Efferon NEO, their pediatric device, has proven especially effective. In April, Efferon NEO obtained a CE mark, Europe's equivalent to FDA approval, making it the first multimodal blood purification device specifically crafted for pediatric sepsis. Currently used in intensive care units across 30 countries, including European hospitals, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand, Efferon NEO is set to file for FDA approval and aims to achieve $2 million in annualized revenue by the end of 2026.

The technology's origins trace back to scientists at Moscow State University, with co-founder Ivan Bessonov recognizing its potential and stepping in as CEO to aid in commercialization. Though Romashin acknowledges Efferon's growth rate isn't as rapid as that of today's AI startups, the company's true success is measured by the number of children who can return home safely.