Funding Round attributes
Scalpel AI, a London-based medtech company, has raised $4.8 million (£3.8 million) in a recent funding round to advance its surgical logistics platform. The round was led by Mercia Ventures with participation from Tensor Ventures and several private investors. The funds will support the expansion of Scalpel AI’s technology across the healthcare supply chain, including partnerships with sterile services, hospitals, and logistics providers such as GlobalMed Logistix.
Founded in 2017 by Dr. Yeshwanth Pulijala, who holds a PhD in medical visualization, Scalpel AI focuses on improving the management and logistics of surgical tools, an often-overlooked aspect of surgical safety and efficiency. Scalpel AI’s platform employs computer vision and machine learning to track surgical instruments and implants, generating a “digital twin” of each tool. This enables accurate tracking of equipment as it moves from vendor warehouses through hospital sterilization processes and into operating theaters, ensuring that surgical trays are complete and correctly assembled.
Dr. Pulijala’s inspiration for the company stemmed from witnessing the risks associated with mismanaged surgical tools, which can lead to procedural delays, near misses, and even critical errors in patient care. Addressing these issues, Scalpel AI’s platform is designed to reduce the risk of such errors by ensuring that surgical trays delivered to operating rooms contain the appropriate instruments. Dr. Pulijala explained, “The success of any surgery depends not only on what happens inside the operating theatre but also on having a smooth-running operation behind the scenes. At Scalpel AI, we work with leading medical device companies and healthcare organizations to transform their logistical supply chain and reduce costs by millions of dollars. Together, we are making surgery safer for patients while paving the way for personalized surgery, which we believe is the future of healthcare.”
The technology developed by Scalpel AI has gained traction within healthcare, as hospitals and surgical centers increasingly recognize the importance of supply chain management in ensuring patient safety and operational efficiency. By leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms, Scalpel AI can track and verify each piece of equipment, minimizing the likelihood of incorrect trays, equipment shortages, or sterilization issues that could disrupt surgeries.
Lee Lindley of Mercia Ventures highlighted the significance of Scalpel AI’s solution, emphasizing the role it plays in ensuring that surgical trays contain the correct equipment. He noted that this technology addresses a critical need within healthcare, offering a solution that can enhance both patient safety and the operational efficiency of surgical teams. Lindley’s endorsement reflects a growing acknowledgment of the importance of backend logistics and tracking in surgical settings, where even minor errors can have significant impacts on patient outcomes.
With the new funding, Scalpel AI plans to scale its operations and forge additional partnerships with key players in the healthcare supply chain. By enhancing the tracking and management of surgical tools, the company aims to reduce costs and bolster patient safety, supporting the healthcare sector’s shift toward more efficient and personalized surgical care. The integration of Scalpel AI’s technology across different stages of the surgical logistics chain represents a meaningful advancement in the way surgical equipment is managed, underscoring the company’s contribution to the field of personalized healthcare.
This funding round not only reinforces Scalpel AI’s position in the medtech industry but also enables it to continue its mission of improving the logistics surrounding surgical procedures. Through these efforts, Scalpel AI is set to play a vital role in enhancing patient care, optimizing hospital operations, and supporting the ongoing evolution of personalized surgical treatment.
