The recent €3.5 million seed funding round secured by Garland Surgical marks an important milestone in the development of a hip replacement technology that originated from research conducted at the University of Malta.
Speaking to WhosWho.mt, Medical Professor Pierre Schembri-Wismayer, one of the researchers behind the technology, explained how the company emerged from a University of Malta spin-out and what the investment means for the project's future.
Garland Surgical recently announced the successful close of a €3.5 million seed funding round, comprising €2.1 million in equity financing and up to €1.4 million in non-dilutive grant funding from Malta Enterprise. The company is now preparing for a larger Series A funding round to support clinical trials and regulatory approvals for its TriActiv Hip system.
Prof. Schembri-Wismayer described the investment as a significant step forward for the company.
“Of course, it is great that the company secured a significant investment as it allows its continued growth,” he said.
He noted that the funding round represents an early-stage investment, with the company now turning its attention to a Series A round that will support the device's progression into clinical trials.
“If all goes well, after that it can start being offered to patients,” he added.
Prof. Schembri-Wismayer clarified that Garland Surgical is a British company incorporated through a Dutch venture-building company and is a spin-out based on intellectual property developed at the University.
The technology behind the TriActiv Hip, formerly known as MaltaHip, was developed by a team consisting of Prof. Schembri-Wismayer, Professor Joseph Buhagiar, Professor Pierluigi Mollicone and Dr Donald Dalli. The research also received funding support from Xjenza Malta.
As the researchers were employees or students of the University of Malta during the development process, the intellectual property is owned by the university.
Prof. Schembri-Wismayer explained that universities across Europe and beyond often pursue knowledge transfer initiatives through licensing arrangements and spin-out companies, allowing research innovations to reach the market.
In Garland Surgical's case, the company has secured an exclusive licence to develop and commercialise the intellectual property in return for royalty payments to the University of Malta.
He compared the arrangement to a property lease, where the owner retains ownership while granting another party the right to use and develop the asset.
The company has also attracted clinical expertise from both Malta and abroad. Alongside UK-based orthopaedic specialists, Maltese orthopaedic surgeon Dr Ryan Giorgimaina serves on Garland Surgical's advisory board and has previously held the role of Chief Medical Officer.
Looking ahead, Prof. Schembri-Wismayer revealed that he, Prof. Buhagiar and Prof. Mollicone have been working on another orthopaedic innovation known as MaltaKnee, together with Professor Arif Rochman and Inġ. Karl Galea Naudi Borg.
The device is currently patent pending, and the team hopes that a similar licensing and spin-out arrangement could be established in the coming years.
Prof. Schembri-Wismayer holds a PhD in Cellular Oncology and regularly collaborates on research projects with local industry partners, including Nutribiotech Ltd, as well as international institutions in China, Greece, Serbia and Portugal. He also serves on the management committees of three European COST Actions.
