Microwave-focused healthtech firm Emblation harnessing investment to power up European expansion

Healthtech firm Emblation – which says it is delivering innovative microwave treatment in the areas of HPV infections, dermatology, cardiology, and oncology – is tapping into an eight-figure investment war chest to drive European expansion.

The Alloa-based business has explained that it is on an expansion drive after an injection of capital from specialist healthcare investors, which has already seen the ongoing fit-out of a new HQ in Stirling, and major boost in headcount.

Indeed, staff numbers at the clinical technology firm have more than doubled in the last year and there are plans to more than double again over the next 18 months to support the expansion strategy and international brand roll-out.

Emblation noted that since it in 2016 launched a “radical”, podiatry-focused treatment device known as Swift that is targeted at verruca treatment, it has enjoyed “major” success, with thousands of practitioners using its microwave technology across the UK, US, Canada and Australia.

However, the firm’s founders Gary Beale and Eamon McErlean – who met during post-graduate studies at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh – say that having weathered the pandemic, they are now focusing on scaling the company in the European market, where they see great potential.

The firm also stated that new distribution deals, clinical partnerships and other opportunities are close to completion across mainland Europe – spearheaded by recent appointments in Germany, Benelux, France, Switzerland and Greece as well as in the likes of Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Mr Beale said: “One of our key focuses over the next year is to get a serious foothold in Europe and we are making impressive progress on multiple fronts.

From left: founders Eamon McErlean and Gary Beale, who met during post-graduate studies at Heriot-Watt University. Picture: Lewis J Houghton.

“We are incredibly proud to be a Scottish firm flying the flag in Europe and overcoming the many hurdles posed by both Brexit and the ongoing Covid pandemic. It is a highly exciting time in Emblation’s evolution.”

The healthtech company added that as part of its growth, it has grown its research-and-development capability to build on “promising” early results that it believes could also result in breakthroughs in the treatment of skin cancers and pre-cancers.

Ambitions

Additionally, it cited dermatologists “eager” to see Swift rolled out for treatment of a wider range of skin conditions, including pre-cancerous skin lesions where initial studies are said to have shown strong potential.

The firm was established in 2008 with the dual purposes of creating more accessible, reliable and compact medical microwave systems and to develop therapies that could be used in dermatology and podiatry that would overcome the shortfalls in traditional treatments for skin lesions.

In May last year it secured major-second round investment from Apposite Capital, which is solely focused on healthcare, and the latter says it typically seeks to invest £10 million to £25m in companies but has on occasion injected “significantly” more in tandem with existing investors.

Emblation is currently fitting out a purpose-built, 20,000-square-foot HQ at Castle Business Park, against the backdrop of Stirling Castle and due to open this year. In August, property consultancy Ryden announced the sale of the property – Maxxium House – to the healthtech firm.

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