Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK) is one of the organisations providing seed funding for Vitalis Ortho, an early-stage MSK business developing a regenerative intervention for knee osteoarthritis. The funding round, which was oversubscribed, raised £1.2M. It was co-led by Zinc and Aligned Syndicate, with participation from ORUK, Innovate UK Growth Catalyst and Angels comprised of successful entrepreneurs and orthopaedic surgeons.
365 million people live with knee osteoarthritis, globally. The patients hit hardest are often active under 65’s; too young for a knee replacement that carries a 1-in-3 lifetime revision risk when prescribed prematurely, but in too much pain to delay the irreversible procedure.
Vitalis Ortho co-founder Olly Morgan says:
‘We’re creating a joint-preserving pathway for patients who have failed conservative treatment but are not yet suitable or indicated for knee replacement. This new funding will support device testing and early preclinical validation as we move toward first-in-human use.’
Vitalis Ortho co-founders Olly Morton (left) and Mac Tuner
Arash Angadji, CEO of ORUK, says:
‘The team from Vitalis Ortho were active participants in our recent MSK Innovation Accelerator programme, (delivered in partnership with MedTech SuperConnector), so we are especially delighted to be supporting their exciting venture with seed funding. This is the 9th early-stage MSK business in which we have invested.
‘In addition to building an exciting portfolio of UK start-ups, our aim is to encourage the development of a dynamic innovation eco-system that can help businesses such as Vitalis Ortho thrive and ultimately benefit the lives of those suffering from poor MSK health.’
