Endiatx has a new CEO leading the PillBot developer

Endiatx co-founder Torrey Smith is no longer leading the PillBot developer as CEO.

Hayward, California–based Endiatx is now led by CEO Arman Nadershahi.

According to Smith and Nadershahi’s LinkedIn profiles, the startup made the switch in February. Nadershahi is now listed as CEO on the company’s website.

When MassDevice reached out for comment today, Smith said he’s “doing advanced PillBot R&D,” calling Nadershahi “awesome.”

Smith was the face of Endiatx, swallowing the company’s swimming, steerable stomach camera robot prototypes to test them in the lab and demonstrate the technology at medtech conferences, including our 2024 DeviceTalks West show in California.

Nadershahi is an intellectual property attorney and co-founder of Proa Medical. The University of Southern California lists him as senior director, corporate and intellectual property counsel of USC’s Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering, and his LinkedIn lists him as an adjunct professor of biotechnology law at USC.

Nadershahi was quoted in a news release today from the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Ingenuity announcing a new investment in Endiatx by its SINC venture capital fund and Varia Ventures Management Co.

“This investment from the SINC Fund is an important milestone for Endiatx. Millions of people each year experience discomfort, delays, or even missed diagnoses due to the limitations of conventional endoscopy,” Nadershahi said in the release. “PillBot is designed to change that as we work towards making GI screening and diagnostics faster, simpler, less costly, and more comfortable. With the support of leaders like SAGES, we’re accelerating the path toward a more patient-friendly and efficient model of care.”

The companies did not disclose the size of the investments.

“PillBot, if cleared by FDA, would represent a major step forward in GI diagnostics,” SINC Fund Investment Committee Chair SD Schwaitzberg said in the release. “This technology has the potential to reduce the burden of traditional endoscopy by providing an easier and less invasive way to evaluate the stomach. We’re excited to support Endiatx as they work to bring this innovation into clinical practice.”

The Mayo Clinic–backed company said in July that it expected to conclude its clinical trials by the end of 2024 and anticipated FDA clearance in 2025 for a commercial launch in 2026.

This January, Smith announced a $12 million Series A funding round for Endiatx in an email to supporters and others interested in keeping tabs on the startup, saying the company had raised a total of $21 million since its March 2019 incorporation.

“2024 was a year of clinical engagement, tech development, and international demonstrations,” Smith said in that email. “We feel grateful to have arrived at this point with the support of so many, and we are thrilled with the momentum we carry into 2025. From here, we proceed to pivotal trials, FDA clearance, and revenue.”

“This new Series A phase of the company requires all of us to lean into change. As a properly funded organization, we must be deeply accountable and driven by results,” he continued. “It is a privilege to bring PillBot into the World.”