Scalpel AI

Scalpel AI is a London-based medtech startup founded in 2017 by Dr. Yeshwanth Pulijala and Dr. Shahnawaz Ahmed to solve a problem at the heart of surgical safety: the systematic mismanagement of surgical instruments and implants across the healthcare supply chain. Each year, billions of pounds are lost globally to incorrect surgical tray packing, equipment losses in transit, and inventory mismanagement — with consequences ranging from costly delays to cancelled surgeries and, in the most serious cases, retained surgical instruments inside patients. Scalpel AI's founders recognised that the existing solutions — barcodes, RFID tags, and manual validation — were inadequate for a problem that demanded automated, AI-driven precision.

Scalpel AI's platform uses computer vision, machine learning, and digital twin technology to generate a unique digital identity for every surgical instrument, tracking it in real time as it moves through the entire supply chain — from manufacturer warehouse to sterile processing unit, to operating theatre, and back. The company's ScalpelGo mobile app extends validation into the field, giving medical device representatives and logistics teams machine-verified confidence at every handoff. The system integrates with existing ERP and instrument tracking platforms, enabling hospital sterile services, medical device OEMs, and third-party logistics providers to operate with surgical-grade accuracy across their workflows, reducing handling time by over 80 per cent and eliminating supply chain errors.

Scalpel AI raised £3.8 million in a funding round led by Mercia Ventures in late 2024, with participation from Tensor Ventures and private investors. The company has deployed its platform at London's largest sterilisation unit, built a commercial partnership with GlobalMed Logistix (GMLx) in the United States — processing over 10,000 joint reconstruction trays in a single pilot — and is scaling internationally across hospital systems and medical device companies. Scalpel AI's longer-term ambition is to build the complete infrastructure for connected surgical intelligence, enabling data-driven, personalised surgery guided by real-time instrument data.