Siloton's $10.9M Boost: Handheld Eye Imaging Closer to Reality

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-19

Siloton, a Bristol-based MedTech startup, just landed a £8.4 million ($10.9 million) contract from Innovate UK to fast-track its handheld eye imaging system. This isn't just another funding round—it's a lifeline for early-stage medtech companies trying to cross the notorious "valley of death." The technology could soon make retinal disease detection as easy as a quick check-up at your local clinic. ### What the Funding Means for Patients Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), awarded the contract through its Contracts for Innovation: Quantum Missions Primer initiative. This program helps public sector organizations tackle complex challenges by funding competitive technology development. For Siloton, it means they can accelerate design, explore UK-based manufacturing, and get their groundbreaking tech into the NHS faster. Alasdair Price, CEO of Siloton, put it bluntly: "Many early-stage companies struggle to get beyond the well-known 'valley of death' in developing new products—particularly in healthcare—but this will support us through that crucial phase." He added that the funding could bring the Siloton system closer to being in patients' hands and build a technology that can be used worldwide. ### How Siloton's Tech Works Founded in April 2020, Siloton specializes in miniaturized optical technology for medical imaging. Their products revolve around Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a technique that uses light to create detailed images of the inside of the eye. OCT is already used to detect and monitor major diseases like age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma, as well as conditions like multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and certain cancers. But traditional OCT systems are stuck in specialist environments because the hardware is large and fragile—think a tabletop full of mirrors, lenses, and fiber optics. Siloton's photonic chip technology compresses all that onto a single piece of material smaller than a coin. Like the chips that power your phone, these are mass-manufacturable and can be used anywhere—even off-planet, according to the company. Their GiraffeOCT device is a binocular-style system designed to make diagnosing and monitoring treatable retinal diseases more affordable and accessible. It's built for use in clinics, community settings, and even at home. ### Clinical Trials and Cost Savings The two-year contract will help Siloton accelerate the design of both in-clinic and at-home versions of GiraffeOCT and complete trials on both systems. The funding could cut the development process by up to two years. Siloton will partner with Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital for clinical trials of the in-clinic device, giving patients across the North East and North Cumbria access to the technology during development. York Health Economics Consortium will use the trial data to refine cost-saving estimates for the NHS. > "Winning this Innovate UK contract allows us to accelerate the development of our systems, explore manufacturing and assembly in the UK, and help a groundbreaking new technology be adopted by the NHS more quickly." — Alasdair Price, CEO of Siloton ### What This Means for European Startups While this story is UK-specific, it's a powerful example for European startups eyeing incorporation. The EU Inc proposal aims to simplify cross-border operations, but stories like Siloton's show that national funding programs can still be a game-changer. For founders, the lesson is clear: don't overlook local innovation grants—they can bridge the gap between prototype and patient. And for the rest of us? Handheld eye scanners that can spot diseases early might soon be as common as a blood pressure cuff. That's a future worth watching.