Pontiro raised £357,500 in a round led by SFC Capital, with participation from Plug and Play Ventures and the British Business Bank. The UK healthtech builds infrastructure for compliant use of medical imaging data in research and AI development.
Founded by Evan Jenkins, Adam Shannon, and Lewis Bowen, Pontiro emerged from operational work inside NHS Wales.
The team focused on a persistent bottleneck: preparing imaging datasets for AI research required slow, manual processes across radiology departments. Resource strain limited experimentation and delayed deployment.
The platform provides on-premise anonymisation software deployed directly within NHS sites. Hospitals de-identify scans and associated reports before sharing datasets externally.
The system enables compliant collaboration with AI developers, contract research organisations, and academic teams without exposing patient-identifiable data.
According to Beinsure analysts, secure data handling frameworks remain central to scaling clinical AI across the UK.
The new capital supports expansion into NHS England trusts. Early-stage discussions are underway with organisations evaluating structured AI assessment models and real-world performance tracking. Pontiro also seeks inclusion on national procurement frameworks to simplify adoption across public healthcare bodies.
Jenkins states the funding validates both the operational challenge and the company’s infrastructure-first approach. Bowen emphasizes the product’s NHS origins, arguing systems built alongside clinical teams carry higher adoption credibility.
The company now aims to replicate its Wales deployment footprint across additional UK regions.
Pontiro positions itself as enabling layer rather than algorithm developer. It focuses on secure access, anonymisation integrity, and measurable AI impact within hospital workflows.
We think infrastructure providers addressing compliance friction gain traction as NHS trusts move from pilot AI projects toward scaled clinical integration.
