The British company Lightpoint Medical establishes its first southern European headquarters in Catalonia

• The company, which specialises in the design and production of robotic surgical tools for cancer surgery, has its central headquarters in London and offices in Amsterdam and Boston.
• To set up in Catalonia, the company counted on the support of Catalonia Trade & Investment.
• The firm is collaborating with the Hospital del Mar in an international clinical trial to evaluate the performance of this technology in the field of prostate cancer.

The British company Lightpoint Medical, specialising in the design and production of precision robotic surgical tools for cancer surgery, has opened its first southern European headquarters in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona). From its new offices there, Lightpoint Medical will distribute its technologies globally and coordinate corporate operations.

This project was supported by Catalonia Trade & Investment. There are currently 780 subsidiaries of British companies established in Catalonia, according to data from the agency.

Headquartered in London and with offices in Amsterdam and Boston, Lightpoint Medical manufactures miniaturised surgical tools for more accurate real-time cancer detection during operations. Its first tool, called SENSEI, is a miniature, flexible probe designed to detect the spread of cancer in the lymphatic system, which is the main route of disease transmission in the body. The technology is applicable to prostate, cervical, lung, stomach and colorectal cancers.

According to Lightpoint Medical's director of operations, Claire Woodthorpe, the company has decided to set up near Barcelona because "it is a European capital of innovation." Woodthorpe also points out that "it is incredibly valuable to be part of such a rich ecosystem of highly innovative technology companies" as the one found in the Catalan capital.

In fact, the technology company is collaborating with the Hospital del Mar in an international clinical trial to evaluate the performance and suitability of its technology in the field of prostate cancer. Hospitals from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium are also taking part in the trial.

Set up in 2012, the company recently completed a $8 million financing round involving private investors, businesses and foundations. The device is currently approved for marketing in the European Union, the United States and Australia and has distribution agreements in Australia, Spain and Portugal. The company has about 30 employees internationally.