News

June 7th, 2023 - Accepted Into Medtech Innovator Accelerator Program
Plio Surgical was honoured to be selected as one of five finalists for the 2023 Vision Award competition at the MedTech Innovator Summit in Palo Alto, California.
The selection process involved an evaluation by the cohort leadership teams and partners, of each company against three criteria:
- Personal investment in the company
- Desirability as an employer
- Admirable qualities such as genuine, collaborative, and passion
The finalists (270Surgical, JuneBrain, Mach32, Plio Surgical and StrokeDx) were granted a pivotal platform to convey their visions at the Wilson Sonsini MedTech conference in San Francisco in front of a distinguished panel of judges, which included representatives from Johnson & Johnson, Medmarc and Edwards Lifesciences.
Paul Grand, CEO of MedTech Innovator, aptly captured the essence of this extraordinary event, stating, “Each of the competitors had a passionate and compelling story to tell about how their technologies will solve big challenges in healthcare.”
This recognition further validates our unwavering pursuit of excellence and our commitment to driving positive change within the healthcare landscape.

June 7th, 2023 - Accepted Into Medtech Innovator Accelerator Program
The Pilo Surgical team are delighted to officially announce that they have been selected for the MedTech Innovator (https://medtechinnovator.org ) 2023 Accelerator. The MedTech Innovator Accelerator is the world’s largest accelerator of medical technology companies, providing unparalleled visibility and access to leading medtech manufacturers, providers, investors, and other industry stakeholders. MedTech Innovator will additionally award $800,000 in non-dilutive funding to winners of its competitions throughout the 2023 program.
Plio Surgical will partake in the four-month program along with 60 other successful companies. The program will launch at the Innovator Summit in Mountain View, California, on the 14-15th June and will pitch at the WSGR Medical Device Conference (https://mdc.wsgrevents.com/medtech-innovator/) on the 16th June in San Francisco.

May 12th, 2023 Travel to IHU Strasbourg for second round of pre-clinical testing
The Plio Surgical team, including Cristina Purtill (CEO), Gareth Gallagher (CTO) and Stephen Johnson Barker (Lead Design Engineer), undertook the second round of pre-clinical porcine animal studies in Strasbourg’s IHU facility. Supported by Dr Lee Swanstrom and Dr Juan Verde, the Plio implant was successfully deployed to form a small bowel end-to-end anastomosis in two live pigs. The animal’s health and condition will be monitored over the coming 30 days.

April 24th, 2023 - Selected as Top 5 Medtech Start-ups at MedTech Innovator
Plio Surgical are delighted to be selected as finalists and receive the opportunity to pitch at the following days MedTech Strategist Conference. After an intense but immensely valuable day of pitching and engaging with the carefully selected MedTech Innovator judging groups, it was just rewards to receive the news of success during the reception held at the world-renowned setting of Trinity College’s Long Room Library.
Plio Surgical were one of five selected finalists from a group of over 30 start-ups who attended the MedTech Innovator event. The finalists will pitch to a full audience and panel of experts for a chance to win the coveted first place in the MedTech Innovator Accelerator Programme.

April 24th, 2023 - Selected by MedTech Innovator to pitch at Dublin Summit
Plio Surgical are happy to announce that they are selected to pitch at the MedTech Innovator’s Dublin event on April 24th, 2023. The event provides an opportunity for the team to present their technology and commercial strategy to panels of multidisciplinary industry leaders across multiple rounds in a “speed dating” type format. Feedback from the expert evaluators will be provided along with a chance to be selected to progress to the finals the following day at the Medtech Strategist Conference and ultimately a spot in the MedTech Innovator Accelerator Programme.

March 29th, 2023 - SAGES Montreal
The Plio Surgical team were in attendance at this year’s SAGES annual meeting, held in Montreal Canada. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to speak with KoL’s, understand the latest trends in gastrointestinal surgery and speak to industry leads.

September 21st, 2022 - ESCP Conference Dublin 2022
The Plio Surgical team were in attendance at the ESCP (European Society of Coloproctology, https://www.escp.eu.com) annual meeting, held in Dublin. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to speak with KoL’s, understand the latest trends in gastrointestinal surgery and speak to industry leads.

GRIT International Female Accelerator 2022
Plio Surgical are proud to announce that CEO, Cristina Purtill was selected to participate in the 1st cohort of the GRIT International Female Accelerator (https://grit-femaleaccelerator.com).
GRIT’s mission is to bridge the gap in gender divide and promote female founders working in underrepresented industries such as digital health and life science. We work with female founders to develop the key skills and confidence required to build a global organisation and attract investment.

June 2nd, 2023 - UK/Ireland Regional EIT Health Catapult Final
Having been selected to progress to the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) Health Catapult UK and Ireland regional final, Pilo Surgical CEO Cristina Purtill pitched remotely over Zoom to a panel of multidisciplinary expert judges. The 5-minute pitch and 5-minute Q&A is the last opportunity to be selected for the Catapult mentorship and training program. Those selected will go forth to represent their region at the semi-final stage, where they will again pitch to an investor jury for a chance to secure a place at the finals, held at the Bits and Pretzels HealthTech event (https://www.bitsandpretzels.com/healthtech).
The EIT Health Catapult (https://eithealth.eu/programmes/catapult/) is a competition and training program for Medtech and Lifesciences start-ups, which awards the best business concepts and innovative technologies. The successful start-ups receive focused training and support, fostering their development, networking and provides excellent pan-European and investor exposure. Finalists pitch at the Bits & Pretzels HealthTech event as they go head-to-head for cash and industry prizes, and the opportunity to be displayed on the New York Nasdaq Tower.

April 25th, 2023 MedTech Strategist Finalist Pitch
CEO, Cristina Purtill, pitched the Plio anastomosis implant to a full house at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, on the evening of the first day of the MedTech Strategist Conference. Plio Surgical were one of five start-ups selected by the large cohort of judges made up of industry leaders, strategists and investors. The night provided an opportunity to showcase the Plio technology and ambition, gaining some well received feedback from the expert panel and members of the audience. The winner was decided by an audience vote and unfortunately, Plio did not come out on top, but would like to sincerely like to congratulate Xtremedy Medical who came out as winners on the night.

April 24th, 2023 - Gareth Gallagher appointed CTO
The team at Plio Surgical are delighted to announce the appointment of Gareth Gallagher as CTO and to welcome him to the team. Gareth has an excellent track record in developing diagnostic and surgical devices for the gastrointestinal tract. He has previously worked in both start-up and multinational Medtech companies, experiencing each stage of the device development cycle from concept to pre-market approval.

April 12th, 2023 - Mater Hospital and UCD Centre for Precision Surgery Usability Study
Dr Faraz Khan, resident surgeon at the Mater Hospital Dublin, led the usability testing and device feedback session alongside the Plio Surgical team. The longstanding collaboration with Dr Khan and the UCD Centre for Precision Surgery has been an invaluable assist in the development of the Plio implant and delivery tool. This study marks the 5th collaborative engagement held in the Maters surgical training labs. These valuable porcine model and cadaver session provide device usability assessment and a opportunity for direct end-user discussions.

September 29th, 2022 - Pre-Clinical Study of Plio Anastomosis Implant Device
The Plio implant device was successfully deployed and tested in a pre-clinical animal study performed under the guidance of renowned surgeons Dr Lee Swanstrom and Dr Juan Verde at IHU, Strasbourg. The surgeons deployed the implants in two live pigs forming a small bowel end-to-end anastomosis. The animal’s health and condition will be monitored over the coming 30 days.

October 2021 - EIC Women Leadership Programme 2022
Plio Surgical are proud to announce that CEO, Cristina Purtill was approved to join the 1st cohort of the EIC Women in Leadership Programme (https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/business-acceleration-services/eic-women-leadership-programme_en#alumni-group) and has successfully completed all activities. This EIC programme, in partnership with the EIT, aims to support the role of women in innovation and tech, offering skills enhancement training and networking opportunities to women researchers and entrepreneurs in leadership roles.

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