Glasgow-based medtech firm Nami Surgical (“Nami”) has secured £3.4m, as part of a funding round extension, led by £2m from the Scottish National Investment Bank, to further develop and commercialise its ultrasonic technology for robotic-assisted surgery.
The Bank is joined by existing investors Eos Advisory, which led Nami’s previous two funding rounds, Scottish Enterprise and the Investment Fund for Scotland (IFS), which is managed by Maven Capital Partners and delivered by the British Business Bank.
The funding will support the company’s commercialisation and expand its research and development team, creating five additional jobs at its headquarters at Hillington in southwest Glasgow.
Nami was founded in 2021 as a University of Glasgow spin-out by Dr Nico Fenu and Dr Rebecca Cleary. They identified a clinical need for ultrasonic surgical tools that could be integrated into robotic systems. The company has since developed a patent-protected, ultrasonic scalpel for robotic-assisted surgery, which provides greater flexibility for surgeons.
Ultrasonic scalpels use high-frequency vibrations to cut tissue and seal blood vessels simultaneously, helping surgeons to operate with greater precision. However, these instruments have traditionally been too large and rigid for effective integration with robotic surgical devices. Nami’s technology addresses this challenge by miniaturising the transducer – the component that generates the ultrasonic vibration – enabling the scalpel to bend and rotate within robotic surgical systems while retaining the tissue-cutting and sealing capabilities of ultrasonic technology.
As adoption of robotic-assisted surgery continues to expand globally, Nami sees significant demand for its technology and in-house expertise and is working to form strategic partnerships with major global healthcare companies.
Substantial commercial opportunity for Scottish university research and medtech development
The funding follows a series of key milestones for the company, including the expansion of its senior leadership team, with Nikki Palfrey joining as CEO in January. Nami also secured ISO 13485 certification, which standardises the safety and quality of medical devices, and it was recently named Bio-tech Manufacturer of the Year at the 2026 Made in Scotland Awards.
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.”
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.”
