Nami Surgical closes £3.4m growth round led by Scottish National Investment Bank
This article covers Nami Surgical, a Glasgow-based healthtech startup, and its closure of a growth funding round of £3.4m led by a £2m investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank. The funding will support commercialisation and expanded R&D of its miniaturised ultrasonic technology for robotic-assisted surgery and will create five jobs at Nami’s Hillington headquarters.
Glasgow-based healthtech startup Nami Surgical has closed a growth funding round of £3.4m, led by a £2m investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank, to advance its miniaturised ultrasonic technology for robotic-assisted surgery. The extension round, which also includes Eos Advisory, Scottish Enterprise and the Investment Fund for Scotland (managed by Maven Capital Partners and delivered by the British Business Bank), will fund commercialisation work, expand R&D and create five jobs at Nami’s Hillington headquarters.
Why it matters
Robotic-assisted surgery is expanding across hospitals worldwide, but many energy devices that cut and seal tissue have been too large or rigid to work inside articulated robotic instruments. Nami’s approach aims to change that by shrinking the ultrasonic transducer that generates high-frequency vibrations, allowing a scalpel to bend and rotate inside a robot while still cutting and sealing. If it delivers on that promise, the technology could broaden the range of procedures that robots can perform and affect device choice in operating theatres.
The funding is notable for combining public and specialist early-stage support: a development bank lead from the Scottish National Investment Bank alongside repeat backing from Eos Advisory and support from national economic development and government-backed funds.
Inside the product
Nami started as a University of Glasgow spin-out in 2021 and has developed a patent-protected ultrasonic scalpel specifically engineered for integration with wristed, articulated robotic instruments. Ultrasonic scalpels use high-frequency vibration to cut tissue and seal blood vessels simultaneously; miniaturisation of the transducer is the technical hurdle Nami targets so the instrument can be incorporated into the tighter form factors of modern surgical robots.
The company says the platform retains the tissue-cutting and sealing capabilities of conventional ultrasonic tools while enabling additional degrees of freedom within a robot. Nami has also secured ISO 13485 certification, a standard for medical device quality management, and was named Bio-tech Manufacturer of the Year at the 2026 Made in Scotland Awards — credentials that can matter to hospitals and procurement teams assessing new devices.
Who are the investors?
The round was led by the Scottish National Investment Bank, which invested £2m as part of this extension. Existing backers joining the round are Eos Advisory, which led Nami’s previous two funding rounds, Scottish Enterprise, and the Investment Fund for Scotland, which is managed by Maven Capital Partners and delivered by the British Business Bank.
The investors frame their support around capturing commercial opportunity from university research, securing high-skilled jobs in Glasgow and helping the company progress towards commercial partnerships with larger healthcare device firms.
In the announcement, Ailsa Young, Investment Director at the Scottish National Investment Bank, said:
Robotic-assisted surgery is a rapidly growing field in the medtech industry worldwide. Nami’s innovative IP introduces new capabilities to the field, demonstrating clear potential to deliver a broader range of robotic-assisted procedures more effectively and safely. The company’s impressive progress to date illustrates the substantial commercial opportunity for Scottish university research and medtech development. Our investment will help secure high-skilled jobs within Nami’s Glasgow team, solidifying the city’s reputation as a global leader in ultrasonics and keeping valuable intellectual property and technology here in Scotland.
In the announcement, Andrew McNeill, Managing Partner at Eos Advisory, said:
Participation in this round extension by the existing investors in Nami demonstrates our collective confidence in the team and their ability to execute on their commercialisation plan. At Eos, we have invested in Nami since inception and have helped to build out the team and get them to this exciting point in their development by our hands-on supportive approach.
In the announcement, Derek Shaw, Director of Company Funding and Investment at Scottish Enterprise, said:
Scottish Enterprise has supported Nami Surgical’s ambition to develop technology that advances surgery over several years. The life science industry is a key opportunity area for growth for Scotland. Companies such as Nami can play a vital role in transforming our economy by scaling-up, creating high value jobs and competing internationally.
In the announcement, Sarah Newbould, Senior Investment Manager at Nations & Regions Investment Funds at the British Business Bank, said:
Nami Surgical’s plans to create new jobs and develop cutting-edge technology are exactly the type of ambition the Investment Fund for Scotland is proud to support. The business is a strong example of the innovation taking place across Scotland’s life science sector, and we look forward to seeing what it achieves with this investment.
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Founder perspective
Nami was founded in 2021 by Dr Nico Fenu and Dr Rebecca Cleary from the University of Glasgow. The pair identified the clinical need for a compact ultrasonic energy device that could be integrated into robotic systems and have since developed the company’s core IP and product platform. The team expanded its leadership earlier in 2026 with the appointment of Nikki Palfrey as chief executive.
In the announcement, Nikki Palfrey, Chief Executive Officer of Nami Surgical, said:
We have reached an important stage in Nami’s development, moving from demonstrating the potential of our technology to building the capabilities and partnerships needed to bring it into the surgical environment. This investment gives us the resources to accelerate that journey, strengthening our engineering team in Glasgow while continuing to generate the evidence and relationships required for commercial adoption. Our ambition is to establish Nami as a key technology partner in the global robotic surgery market, bringing together Scottish engineering expertise and world-leading ultrasonic innovation to address an important unmet need for surgeons. We are proud to be developing this technology in Glasgow and to have the continued support of investors who share our ambition to take it to the global market.
The company says the new funding will expand its R&D headcount by five roles at its Hillington site and support efforts to build clinical evidence and commercial partnerships.
The bigger picture
Nami’s raise sits at the intersection of growing hospital demand for more capable robotic tools and public policy focused on translating university research into industry. Scotland has been positioning itself as a hub for ultrasonics and life sciences, and this deal highlights the role development banks and regionally focused funds play in keeping IP and manufacturing-related jobs local.
If Nami can demonstrate reliable clinical performance and secure distribution or integration agreements with large surgical-robotics players, its technology could represent a small but meaningful shift in the device ecosystem for minimally invasive surgery in the UK and beyond.
They've invested in Nami Surgical
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 Scottish Enterprise( ) The firm focuses on supporting early-stage and growing companies in Scotland, of... Glasgow  | ||||
 Investment Fund for Scotland (IFS)( ) | ||||
 Maven Capital Partners( ) Maven is a leading UK private equity firm specialising in buyouts, growth capita... London | ||||
 British Business Bank( ) The British Business Bank focuses on enhancing finance accessibility for smaller... Sheffield | ||||
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