Medical device startup OSSTEC closes £6m led by Embryo Ventures and Neovate Capital
This article covers OSSTEC, a biotech startup that has closed £6m in a series A funding round to finance first-in-human U.S. surgical cases of ASCENT, its cementless fixed-bearing partial knee system. The funding will support FDA clearance activities, surgeon training and the establishment of U.S. operations to advance clinical translation of the implant for surgeons and patients eligible for partial knee replacement.
OSSTEC, a biotech startup developing 3D-printed cementless joint implants, has closed £6m in a series A funding round to finance the first-in-human U.S. surgical cases of ASCENT, its cementless fixed-bearing partial knee system. The capital is earmarked for FDA clearance activities, training surgeon faculty, and supporting the company’s newly established U.S. operations as it moves from preparation toward clinical use.
Why it matters
Around half of knee replacement patients are anatomically suitable for a partial knee, a bone-preserving procedure with faster recovery, yet only about 10% receive one. Cemented implants add time and complexity in theatre and can increase the risk of loosening, a leading cause of revision surgery. Cementless fixation aims to reduce that risk and could expand the patient cohort offered partial knees, particularly among more active patients.
For a device company, moving from regulatory preparation to first-in-human cases is a critical inflection point: it shifts focus from prototyping and preclinical validation to surgeon training, clinical data collection and commercial pathways. OSSTEC’s funding therefore targets a high-cost, high-value phase of development.
Inside the product
ASCENT is a cementless, fixed-bearing partial knee implant designed to work with CLARITY instrumentation. The technology rests on a 3D-printed biomimetic fixation platform that OSSTEC says is built on more than a decade of research into implant fixation and osseointegration, with the aim of achieving biological fixation without cement.
The company is planning first-in-human procedures in the U.S. in the first half of 2027, contingent on FDA clearance. The financing will cover the regulatory pathway and support surgeon training at leading partial knee centres. OSSTEC is also expanding a pipeline of cementless applications beyond the partial knee and evaluating integration with robotic surgery platforms.
ASCENT and CLARITY are not cleared by the FDA and are not available for sale in the United States.
Who are the investors?
The £6m series A was led by EMBRYO Ventures, with participation from Neovate Capital, New Wave Ventures, Oxford Technology Innovation Finance and Empirical Ventures. EMBRYO Ventures is a London-based venture capital firm focused on founders advancing human health and experience.
In the announcement, Dr Arash Moavenian, Chief Executive, EMBRYO Ventures, said:
We are excited to lead this financing round in OSSTEC, representing an exceptional opportunity to advance partial knee replacement. With its next-generation implant technology approaching first clinical use, we look forward to supporting the company in its ambition to improve patient outcomes and drive greater operational efficiency.
The investor mix reflects backers prepared to fund the expensive clinical and regulatory steps required for orthopaedic devices, and to support surgeon training and market entry in the U.S.
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Founder perspective
In the announcement, Max Munford, PhD, Founder and CEO of OSSTEC, said:
This financing moves our focus from preparation to patients. Surgeons tell us they would offer a partial knee to more patients if they could use next-generation cementless technology. ASCENT is designed to give them that, integrated with a familiar, streamlined surgical workflow, and the platform behind it is built to go further, with a pipeline of cementless applications beyond the knee.
Founded in 2021 out of Imperial College London, OSSTEC combines surgeon-led design and additive manufacturing. It is headquartered in the UK and has established U.S. operations to support clinical translation.
The bigger picture
OSSTEC’s raise sits at the intersection of several trends in medtech: growing interest in additive manufacturing for bespoke and porous implant surfaces, increased focus on biological fixation to reduce revisions, and the long-standing strategy of UK device startups seeking U.S. clinical validation and market access. The company plans to attend the 2026 AAHKS Annual Meeting in Texas, a key forum for engaging U.S. orthopaedic opinion leaders.
The funding also signals continued appetite among UK biotech investors for device companies advancing toward clinical milestones and transatlantic expansion, where regulatory proof points typically unlock larger commercial opportunities across Europe and North America.
They've invested in OSSTEC
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