Tech firm secures funding to pioneer surgical training

A surgical technology company is developing a digital training platform to help transform robotic surgery education after securing £40,000 funding.

Middlesbrough-based Surghive has been awarded a Tees Valley Innovation Voucher to accelerate development of a virtual reality and digital learning ecosystem designed to make specialist surgical training more accessible across the NHS and beyond.

The business was co-founded by surgeons Dr Rachael Coates and Professor Deena Pravin Harji, who met on their first day of surgical training, alongside director Christina Anderson, a former PwC director who brings financial and operational expertise to the venture.

Its technology aims to address growing demand for robotic surgery at a time when training opportunities remain limited, expensive and frequently dependent on access to hospital equipment.

Surgeons can currently be expected to complete around 30 hours of virtual reality training before progressing to in-person and supervised procedures.

However, access to training equipment can be restricted by operating theatre schedules, creating barriers for clinicians seeking to develop their skills.

Dr Coates said: “We’ve both experienced the training bottleneck and the challenges for surgeons getting involved in robotic surgery and getting that training.

“Even as consultant surgeons it’s still quite difficult and industry-led.”

She added “Our solution wants to initially solve that bottleneck by making training accessible anywhere, from someone’s mobile phone through to a VR headset, which they can use at home rather than having to go into an operating room when the robot’s not in use, which typically is overnight.”

Surghive hopes to overcome these challenges by creating a central digital platform where surgeons can access educational resources, monitor their progress and identify areas for improvement.

The £40,000 voucher will specifically support development of the company’s app, which will act as a gateway to its wider training ecosystem.

As well as bringing learning materials together, the technology will enable surgeons to connect with Surghive and medical equipment manufacturers, helping streamline access to specialist training and support.

Dr Coates said: “We got the exploratory voucher, which is going to help us build our app.

“This will be how our surgical community will communicate not just with ourselves, but with manufacturers.

“It’s where they will live day-to-day in order to access training with us and that wrap-around educational piece.”

The investment will also allow the early-stage business to advance its technology alongside a national pilot, laying the groundwork for a future commercial launch.

Dr Coates added: “By getting access to the voucher, it means we’re going to be able to be to test the app alongside the national pilot and get feedback.

“That means that we'll be able to go commercial earlier.”

Christina added: “It accelerates us building the app and moves that forward.

“Being able to do the app now, and roll that out with our national pilot, will make a massive difference in the revenue streams we hopefully will be generating in 2027.”

Surghive is among 17 businesses awarded funding through the Tees Valley Investment Zone Innovation Voucher scheme, which is led by Teesside University.

The £1.5 million programme is supporting digital and creative businesses across the region over an eight-month period, helping them assess feasibility, develop prototypes, pilot new technologies and strengthen their routes to market.

It forms part of the wider Tees Valley Investment Zone, the UK’s only Investment Zone dedicated to accelerating the digital and creative sectors.

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen added: “It’s great to see local entrepreneurs making the most of this backing by taking their cutting-edge products and reinforcing our reputation as a place where innovation can thrive.

“We’ve built a strong digital and creative reputation across Teesside, and businesses like Surghive show exactly why we’re continuing to invest in it.

“By supporting firms with global ambitions, we’re creating high-quality jobs and attracting investment.”

Middlesbrough mayor Chris Cooke added: “It’s fantastic to see a Middlesbrough company developing technology to make such a significant difference to training, patient safety and healthcare.

“We have hugely innovative businesses in our town.

“The Surghive team has identified a genuine challenge, developed a solution and they’re now being supported to take their next step towards commercial success.

“We want the voucher programme to help businesses unlock their potential and accelerate their growth.

“It’s great to see our firms benefiting from this support.”

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