Growth Horizons: Medtech Insights from Global Leaders in Edinburgh

Scotland’s medtech sector is expanding rapidly, driven by founders who are building companies that can transform health outcomes worldwide. Yet success in this industry requires navigating complex regulatory systems, securing the right capital, and selecting the right markets. To create space for open dialogue on these themes, CodeBase and Barclays Eagle Labs recently partnered to convene a curated group of founders, researchers, and industry experts in Edinburgh for a Medtech-focused meetup.

This collaborative event was designed to bring together voices from across the ecosystem, combining CodeBase and Eagle Labs’ UK-wide network and expertise. The gathering created opportunities for founders to exchange experiences, build relationships, and access global perspectives. At the centre of the conversation was Marissa Fayer, CEO of DeepLook Medical, who joined from New York to share lessons from her international career in medical technology and health equity.

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Lessons from Marissa Fayer

Marissa Fayer has spent over two decades shaping the future of Medtech. She is the CEO of DeepLook Medical, where she has guided FDA-cleared technology into commercial use across the US, UK, and Canada. She has raised more than $5 million in seed and Series A funding, built six commercial partnerships, and secured recognition in leading global outlets, including Forbes and Fortune.

Alongside this work, she founded HERhealthEQ, a non-profit dedicated to women’s health, which has improved the lives of more than 80,000 women in 12 countries. Her career has included leadership roles at global healthcare companies such as Hologic and Olympus, board positions at multiple Medtech ventures, and recognition as one of the Top 100 Women in Medtech.

During the meetup in Edinburgh, Marissa spoke candidly about the challenges of entering international markets. She outlined how founders should approach the FDA approval process, how to build a strategy for go-to-market success, and when to consider launching in alternative markets before the United States. She also emphasised that investors bring more than capital, and that choosing the right backers can shape the trajectory of a business for years to come.

The takeaways were clear:

• Regulation is a strategy. Approaching regulatory approval as part of a long-term growth plan rather than a hurdle to be crossed can open new opportunities.
• Capital is about fit and funding. Investors bring networks, expertise, and expectations that shape how companies grow. Choosing wisely matters.
• Global doesn’t always mean US-first. While America remains a critical market.

For founders in the room, her insights offered both realism and encouragement. Scaling Medtech is never straightforward, but with the right strategy and support, it is possible to compete on the global stage.

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Setting the Table for Ideas and Connections

The discussion did not stop with one speaker. Around the table, Scotland’s Medtech community was strongly represented.

• Jane McCracken, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and Chief Growth Officer at Corps Team, shared knowledge from raising more than $100 million and leading four successful exits.
• Jane Kennedy, Chief Business Officer at Discovery Park, spoke about building thriving life sciences hubs and the role of infrastructure in driving growth.
• David Richardson, COO of Human-centred AI and Robotics at Edinburgh University, contributed views on partnerships between academia and industry.
• Founders, including Elizabeth Fairley (Talking Medicines), Dr Kate Cameron (Cytochroma), Gail McCrellis (Barclays), Matt Farrugia (Stealth Startups), Maxwell Scott-Slade and Rebecca Warner-Perry (Glitchers), and Stefan Bostock (Danu Insights), contributed their own perspectives, from biotech to cognitive health to robotics.

Each attendee brought expertise from their own journey, and the connections made over meetup will continue to strengthen Scotland’s innovation ecosystem.

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Why Gatherings Like This Matter

In addition to paving the way for funding or access to accelerator programmes, supporting high-growth startups also requires creating opportunities for founders to sit down with peers, experienced operators, global leaders, and stakeholders to exchange insights. The Medtech meetup in Edinburgh created that opportunity, giving local founders access to perspectives they might otherwise struggle to reach.

No matter which cog of the ecosystem you represent, if you were in the room the event had implications for you and the Medtech startup space at large. For founders, it provided practical advice on regulatory navigation, international expansion, and capital strategy. For academia, it highlighted the value of commercial partnerships that help research reach the market. For government and local authorities, it showed how targeted support for convening can generate momentum within an industry. For corporates and investors, it offered a window into the pipeline of innovative companies emerging from Scotland.

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Looking Ahead

While this gathering focused on Medtech, Scotland’s ecosystem is broad and ambitious. The next conversation in this space will explore artificial intelligence, with Yan Zhang, former COO of PolyAI and advisor to Point72 Ventures, joining founders from across Scotland’s AI sector. From healthcare to robotics to advanced analytics, AI is already reshaping industries, and Scotland’s startups are playing a vital role in that transformation.

CodeBase and Barclays Eagle Labs are committed to building a stronger startup ecosystem together. That means creating opportunities for mentoring, coaching, founder assemblies, workshops, and events like the Medtech meetup. By convening the right people, connecting networks, and ensuring that knowledge and capital flow where they are needed most, we can support ambitious founders to grow with confidence, access international pathways, and deliver lasting benefits for Scotland’s economy and society.

Scotland has the talent and ideas to lead in medtech, AI, and beyond. What it needs is connection: to capital, to global markets, to knowledge, and to each other. That’s what the meetup aimed to do, and it delivered.

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Hear from the attendees

^“‍Excellent conversation. Great to be introduced to a group of people in a similar space, most I I have never met before. Have already made connections to follow up with. The setup really made a big difference in terms of breaking the ice and creating a more natural social environment compared to typical networking events.

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^“It was a really enjoyable event and incredible fruitful as a way of meeting people (much beyond that of almost all similar networking events I have been to). Very natural and organic and everyone was super interesting (and likely really helpful too!).