Inovus Medical has taken its total funding to US$20m (£15m) as the St Helens surgical training firm expands internationally.
The medtech scaleup, which specialises in simulation training technology for surgeons, partners with organisations including the NHS, the Royal College of Surgeons England and the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) to deliver standardised surgical training to residents and surgeons in the UK and North America.
The company provides surgeons with models of human anatomy made from what it describes as advanced hydrogel materials.
Its simulators are powered by its software platform, TOTUM, which allows surgeons to track their training and receive feedback from mentors online.
Chief executive Dr Elliot Street said: “We are at an exciting inflexion point for the business and having invested heavily in our operational and technology infrastructure over the last 24 months, we are now poised to drive commercial growth across our key territories and surgical specialities with this new investment.
“We are proud to welcome our new investors, PXN and Unorthodox Ventures, and are pleased to see the strong signalling from our existing investors Mercia and Hayfin, who continue to support the business and its mission to make surgery safer through better training.”
Inovus says it is working to replace outdated styles of learning, including operating room or bedside demonstrations, which it says puts patients at greater risk.
The funding will support the launch of new technologies focused on flexible endoscopy, robotic surgery and advanced tissues intended to replace the need for training on pigs and cadavers.
It will also support the introduction of the existing and expanded portfolio to new international territories, with a focus on the Middle East and Asia.
Inovus was co-founded in 2012 by University of Manchester graduate Dr Elliot Street and chief technology officer Jordan Van Flute, who saw an opportunity to improve the level of training available and tackle a lack of surgeon availability, estimated to reach a shortage of up to 19,900 surgeons in the US alone by 2036.
