Scotland’s next generation of healthcare innovators aim to go global
Our most ambitious entrepreneurs are helping to shape the future of medicine, writes Nick Freer
Scotland has a proud history of medical innovation, from pioneering surgical techniques to breakthroughs that have transformed healthcare around the world. What’s increasingly exciting is the next generation of Scottish entrepreneurs turning that tradition into globally ambitious technology businesses.
A case in point is Nami Surgical, which this week secured £3.4 million to further develop and commercialise its ultrasonic technology for robotic-assisted surgery. Originally a University of Glasgow spinout, Nami was founded by Dr Nico Fenu and Dr Rebecca Cleary, who identified a clinical need for ultrasonic surgical tools that can be integrated into robotic systems.
Freer Consultancy has been a longtime PR adviser to the co-founders, so I’ve had the pleasure of watching their entrepreneurial journey develop. What many people might not know about Nico is that, alongside his scientific and business credentials, he’s also an accomplished international water polo coach.
And on a slight aside, I found out from Nico that water polo originated in Scotland in the mid-19th century and its rules were established at Glasgow’s Arlington Baths in the Woodlands area of the city. Who knew?
Of course, the discipline, teamwork and competitive instincts required in elite sport translate rather well to the demands of building a technology company.
Nami's latest investment, backed by the Scottish National Investment Bank, Eos, Scottish Enterprise, and the Investment Fund for Scotland managed by Maven Capital Partners and delivered by the British Business Bank, represents another important milestone.
The business is expanding its Glasgow research and development team while pursuing partnerships with major international healthcare companies. The technology being developed by Nami could become an integral part of surgical robotics systems globally, while retaining specialist expertise and high-value employment in Glasgow.
It's not an easy journey. Medical technology demands substantial investment, lengthy development cycles and rigorous regulatory approval. But it demonstrates why patient capital, experienced leadership and international commercial relationships matter every bit as much as scientific acumen.
Closer to home, my youngest brother, Matthew Freer, is in Abu Dhabi this week to ink a deal for Infix, the healthtech startup he founded in 2019, with the Middle East’s largest hospital group. It’s another example of a Scottish business looking beyond our borders to bring innovative technology into healthcare environments internationally.
These businesses are operating in different areas, but they share something important, namely the ambition to develop world-class healthcare technology in Scotland and take it to global markets.
Our longstanding reputation in medicine and healthcare provides a strong foundation, but reputation alone doesn’t create tomorrow's businesses. That requires founders prepared to take risks, investors willing to back them and international customers ready to embrace new ideas.
Nami and Infix are still writing their respective stories, but both offer a glimpse of what Scotland's next generation of healthcare innovators might achieve.
Scotland has helped shape the history of modern medicine. The exciting prospect is that some of our most ambitious young entrepreneurs are now helping to shape its future.
Nick Freer is the founding director of corporate PR agency Freer Consultancy
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