What Prothea Technologies does

Prothea Technologies is a medical device spinout from the Universities of Edinburgh and Bath, founded to enable lung cancer biopsy and treatment within a single hospital visit. The company is developing a fiber-optic microendoscope combined with an AI-enhanced Image Processing System based on fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), which measures the differential time for light to travel between healthy and abnormal lung tissue at the molecular level. In clinical samples, the technology achieved 81.0% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity in distinguishing cancerous from non-cancerous tissue. A complementary therapeutic laser ablation catheter is in development, intended to allow immediate lesion treatment following imaging and biopsy.

The company operates from three primary locations: Edinburgh (headquarters and clinical trial site at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh), Bath (R&D and fiber fabrication in partnership with the University of Bath's Fibre Fabrication Facility), and Cologne/Bergisch Gladbach (manufacturing operations via Prothea Technologies GmbH). It maintains a US presence led by an SVP based in the Bay Area. Prothea is pre-commercial and is currently running the First-In-Human Precision Lung clinical study (ISRCTN15093468), co-sponsored with the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian, recruiting up to 40 patients to generate safety, procedural success, and biopsy yield data for regulatory submission and clinical adoption.

The business model is hardware-led (microendoscope, laser ablation catheter) with a potential subscription or licensing layer for AI software upgrades derived from anonymised clinical imaging data. Pricing has not been disclosed, and go-to-market is anticipated as direct enterprise sales to tertiary and quaternary hospitals with interventional pulmonology departments, supported by KOL endorsements and conference-driven awareness (AABIP, ECBIP). The company has assembled a PhD-heavy team across clinical, optical, and AI disciplines and is backed by a €12M Series A co-led by Earlybird Venture Capital and Mérieux Equity Partners, with non-dilutive funding from Wellcome, Cancer Research UK, CARB-X, and UKRI/EPSRC.

Name

Prothea Technologies

Legal name

Prothea Technologies Ltd.

Website

https://prothea.tech

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Prothea Technologies is a UK-based medical device spinout developing a fiber-optic microendoscope with AI-enhanced fluorescence lifetime imaging for real-time lung cancer biopsy and ablation. The company targets interventional pulmonology departments at tertiary hospitals to enable single-visit diagnosis and treatment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interventional Pulmonology Medical Devices

NAICS

Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113), Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Intraoperative Imaging & Guidance (C-arms, O-arm, IOUS, fluorescence) (HLAHADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Single-Use Medical Disposables & Procedure Kits (Drapes, Tubing, Catheters, Syringes, Custom Packs) (HLAHANAG), Oncology Telemedicine Platforms (HLALAGAH), Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Services (HLAGANAB), Clinical Operations & Monitoring FSP (CRA/CTM/Start-up) (HLAGAOAA)

Keywords

• Interventional pulmonology devices
• Lung cancer biopsy systems
• Fluorescence lifetime imaging
• Medical fiber-optic endoscopy
• Laser ablation catheters

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Medical Device Sales (Imaging and Biopsy System): Sale of the Prothea Microendoscope combined with an Image Processing System to hospitals and interventional pulmonology departments. The system consists of hardware (fibre-based imaging catheter) and software (image processing/AI analysis). Revenue will be generated upon regulatory approval and commercial launch.
2. Laser Ablation Catheter: Sale of therapeutic laser ablation catheter for immediate lesion treatment following imaging and biopsy. Planned as a complementary product to the imaging system, enabling single-visit biopsy and treatment.
3. Software Upgrades and AI Enhancements: Ongoing software upgrades incorporating AI algorithms developed from anonymised imaging data sets acquired in clinical studies. Potential for subscription or licence-based revenue from software enhancements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Prothea Technologies develops a medical device platform centred on a miniaturised fibre-optic microendoscope combined with an AI-enhanced Image Processing System that uses fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to differentiate cancerous from healthy lung tissue in real time during bronchoscopy. A therapeutic Laser Ablation Catheter is in development to enable integrated biopsy and treatment of lung cancer in a single hospital visit. The platform is currently pre-commercial, undergoing First-In-Human clinical trials at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Product overview

Prothea Technologies offers a unified medical device platform for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, consisting of a Microendoscope combined with an Image Processing System, with a Laser Ablation Catheter in development. The platform enables biopsy and treatment of lung cancer in a single hospital visit, reducing time-to-treat from weeks to minutes. The Microendoscope provides real-time in situ analysis of lung lesion structure at the molecular level, working alongside biopsy instruments. The proprietary Image Processing System uses AI-enhanced software to analyse fluorescence lifetime imaging data and support clinical decisions. The Laser Ablation Catheter is being developed for immediate lesion treatment following imaging and biopsy. Additionally, clinic-ready prototypes of disposable Micro-Bronchoscopes have been developed through partnership with University of Bath. The company also has a separate clinical program for lung infection detection in ICU patients supported by Wellcome.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Microendoscope A miniaturised flexible fibre-optic microendoscope that combines with the Image Processing System to characterise lung lesions in situ at the molecular level using fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), providing real-time imaging alongside biopsy tools for improved diagnostic accuracy during bronchoscopy.
• Image Processing System Proprietary AI-enhanced software system that measures the differential in time between healthy and abnormal tissue for the round trip of light from a laser source, using a ResNetZ CNN architecture to evaluate large volume FLIM data sets and provide real-time in-procedure clinical decision support for distinguishing cancerous from non-cancerous lung tissue.
• Laser Ablation Catheter Therapeutic catheter in development for the treatment of lung lesions immediately following visualisation and biopsy using the Prothea imaging system, designed to enable integrated biopsy and treatment in a single hospital visit.
• Micro-Bronchoscopes Disposable imaging fibres developed in partnership with the University of Bath's Fibre Fabrication Facility using 'stack and draw' techniques, designed to overcome challenges including high costs, sterilisation requirements, and cross-contamination risks of reusable endoscopes in clinical workflows.

Quantifiable outcome

• FLIM achieved 81.0% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity in distinguishing lung cancer from healthy tissue in resected samples from 21 patients
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of BathcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Collaboration with University of Bath's Fibre Fabrication Facility to develop affordable optical fibres tailored for healthcare and medical imaging applications. The partnership uses 'stack and draw' techniques inspired by telecommunications to create disposable imaging devices. Yields clinic-ready prototypes for micro-bronchoscopes and established a dedicated branch at the university with access to fibre-drawing towers.
• University of EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpinout university and co-sponsor of the Precision Lung clinical study (ISRCTN15093468) through ACCORD, the joint research office between the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian. Prof. Kev Dhaliwal serves as Chief Medical and Scientific Officer. Multiple patents licensed from the university.
• ACCORD (University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research office co-sponsoring the Precision Lung clinical study. Prothea provided technology as part of a collaboration agreement with the University of Edinburgh. Study being conducted at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
• NHS LothiancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Precision Lung clinical study through ACCORD. Dr. Adam Marshall, Consultant Interventional Pulmonologist at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, serves as Principal Investigator.
• California Life SciencesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner on the Prothea website. California Life Sciences is a trade association for the life sciences industry in California.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prothea-technologies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prothea Technologies