Scots health tech firm hails 'milestone' deal to tap into vast German market

A Scottish health tech firm has pushed into Europe’s biggest healthcare market after striking a “milestone” deal with a German medical device company.

Emblation is launching its Swift device, which uses microwave technology to treat common podiatry problems, into German and Austrian clinics on the back of the partnership agreement. The Alloa firm’s technology is already a success across the UK, the US, Canada and Australia.

The latest move is part of an ambitious growth strategy underpinned by an eight-figure investment and will result in Emblation expanding rapidly across the continent, with the German launch seen as a springboard.

Gary Beale, co-founder and chief executive, said: “Up until now we have been planning our presence in mainland Europe and our recent investment was all about changing that, so we are extremely pleased to be making such rapid progress.

“Working with a distributor of the quality and reputation of Medaesthetis is the perfect launchpad.

“We’ve been impressed with every aspect of how they operate their business and the team’s knowledge, passion and, most importantly of all, encyclopaedic knowledge of our target sectors.”

Hardy Weiss, head of sales and marketing with Medaesthetis, said: “In the field of medical devices, the term innovation is often over inflated. With Emblation’s Swift microwave technology, doctors and patients in Germany and Austria will now have access to a real and genuine innovation.

“The repeatability of treating benign skin lesions in only a few seconds will deliver predictable outcomes with a high safety profile.”

The founders of Emblation are Gary Beale (in waistcoat) and Eamon McErlean (blue shirt). The pair met during post-graduate studies in Edinburgh.

Emblation was founded in 2008 by Beale and Eamon McErlean, who met during post-graduate studies at the University in Edinburgh, 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 to overcome the shortfalls in traditional treatments for skin lesions.

They went on to launch Swift in 2016.

The device enables medical professionals to resolve persistent common and plantar warts (verrucae) with a simple microwave treatment and has won widespread praise and recognition within both the medical and technology arena.

The firm is also growing its research and development capability to build on promising early results which could result in breakthroughs in the treatment of skin cancers and pre-cancers as well.

Weiss added: “After the successful launch in the US, UK, Canada and Australia with more than 200,000 successful treatments of verrucae and warts, we are pleased to introduce this technology for the mutual benefit of users and patients in Germany and Austria.”

Beale said Emblation was now preparing for a series of “exciting developments” in Germany, which will become the centre of its European growth with expansion in the firm’s support team and fulfilment operation.

Currently based in Alloa, the firm is currently fitting out a new purpose-built, 20,000 square feet headquarters at Castle Business Park, Stirling, which is due to open later this year.

In May 2021, the firm secured major second round investment from London-based specialist healthcare investors Apposite Capital. Staff numbers are expected to double in the next 18 months.