London-based medtech Scalpel AI, has raised $4.8M (£3.8M) in a funding round led by Mercia Ventures, with participation from Tensor Ventures and private investors.

The investment will enable Scalpel AI to scale its global operations and roll out its technology with major players in the healthcare supply chain, including sterile services, hospitals, and prominent third-party logistics services such as GlobalMed Logistix.

Scalpel AI allows healthcare providers to manage and track surgical tools and implants using computer vision and machine learning, especially when there are staff shortages. It generates a digital twin for each tool as it moves from vendor warehouses to operating rooms and back and also verifies that surgical trays delivered to the operating theatre contain the right equipment. 

Scalpel was founded in 2017 by Dr Yeshwanth Pulijala, a PhD in medical visualisation, after witnessing firsthand how the mismanagement of surgical tools could result in near misses or even critical errors in patient care

He commented: “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 organisations 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 personalised surgery, which we believe is the future of healthcare.”

Lee Lindley of Mercia Ventures added: “Ensuring that surgical trays contain the right equipment is essential for an effective healthcare system. Existing solutions use simple mechanisms such as barcodes, RFID tags, and manual validation.

“Scalpel AI’s platform has the potential to transform how surgical trays are managed. This investment will enable the company to scale internationally and pursue its goal of being recognised as the industry standard. We’re excited to be supporting Yesh and Shah on this journey.”