Imperial startup OSSTEC raises $8m for US launch of innovative joint replacements

OSSTEC will use the new investment to support the first US surgical cases involving its cementless partial knee joints and to advance new products

Knee replacement patients in the US are on track to be offered an innovative alternative from next year as OSSTEC, a startup from Imperial College London, begins to roll-out Ascent, its 3D-printed cementless, fixed-bearing partial knee system.

The company has just closed an $8 million (£6 million) investment round to help it complete regulatory approval in the US and to train surgeons in using the new technology.

This financing moves our focus from preparation to patients. Dr Max Munford Founder and Chief Executive, OSSTEC

"This financing moves our focus from preparation to patients," said Dr Max Munford, founder and Chief Executive of OSSTEC. "Surgeons tell us they would offer a partial knee to more patients if they could use next-generation cementless technology. Ascent is designed to give them that, integrated with a familiar, streamlined surgical workflow.”

Around half of knee replacement patients are suitable for a partial knee implant, a bone-preserving procedure with faster recovery, yet only about 10 per cent receive one. The conventional approach involves cementing the implant in place, but this adds time and complexity in the operating room. The cementless implants developed by OSSTEC avoid this problem, while reducing loosening, which often requires further surgery to repair.

Meanwhile, the company is working on new applications of its technology. “The platform behind Ascent is built to go further, with a pipeline of cementless applications beyond the knee," said Dr Munford. The company is also evaluating integration with robotic surgery platforms.

OSSTEC was founded in 2021 based on Dr Munford’s PhD research in the Department of Mechanical Engineering on how 3D printing could be used in surgery. The company developed through the Venture Catalyst Challenge, the MedTech SuperConnector and other support provided by the Enterprise Lab. 

In 2023, it raised £1.2 million in seed funding from investors, including the Imperial College Enterprise Fund. This was followed in 2025 by a £2.5 million funding round that supported its first steps in the US, building on early contacts made on an Imperial Venture Trek and the university’s global hub in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Since then, OSSTEC has made its first executive appointments in the US and built up a network of surgeons interested in learning how to use its implants.

The latest investment round was led by Embryo Ventures, with participation from Neovate Capital, New Wave Ventures, Oxford Technology Innovation Finance and Empirical Ventures.

"We are excited to lead this financing round in OSSTEC, representing an exceptional opportunity to advance partial knee replacement,” said Dr Arash Moavenian, Chief Executive of Embryo Ventures. “With its next-generation implant technology approaching first clinical use, we look forward to supporting the company in its ambition to improve patient outcomes and drive greater operational efficiency.”