Alesi Surgical, a surgical technology company tackling surgical smoke in operating theatres, has raised £7m in funding led by IW Capital, with participation from IP Group and Mercia Ventures. It develops systems that remove surgical smoke during procedures, and the funding will support international commercial expansion and further development of its Ultravision2 platform as regulation around smoke control tightens.
Surgical smoke is produced in around 90% of procedures, with an estimated 266 million procedures each year. While 95% of the smoke is water, the remaining 5% can contain viable viruses, bacteria and chemicals, creating infection risks and long-term toxicity hazards. Existing smoke management solutions have seen limited adoption due to bulky extraction systems that interrupt surgical workflow. Alesi Surgical’s Ultravision platform uses electrostatic precipitation to remove smoke as it is generated, rather than relying on suction and filtration, improving visibility and reducing exposure to harmful particulates.
The first-generation Ultravision System has been used in over 50,000 laparoscopic and robotic procedures across Europe, the US and Japan. Independent studies show that, in laparoscopic surgery, it removes smoke from the atmosphere up to 225-times faster than competing technologies. The system also enables surgeons to operate at lower abdominal pressure, reducing CO₂ usage by up to 82% while maintaining a clear surgical field, which is associated with reduced procedure time and improved patient outcomes at a lower cost per procedure.
Alesi Surgical’s next-generation Ultravision2 System has regulatory clearance for use in both minimally invasive and open surgical procedures. It is designed to address limitations of existing solutions described as inefficient, bulky and noisy, and integrates smoke management with surgical tools used for tissue dissection. Regulatory momentum, particularly in the US where 20 states have passed legislation, is driving increased adoption of smoke-free operating theatres.
Electrosurgical tools have transformed modern surgery but also generate surgical smoke that affects the quality and efficiency of surgery and poses risks to operating theatre staff. For years, available solutions have required trade-offs between effectiveness and workflow disruption, slowing adoption across the industry. As awareness grows that smoke management is integral to surgical safety and efficiency, solutions that tackle smoke at its source, such as Ultravision2 which is FDA-approved and CE-marked, are becoming increasingly important for supporting the next generation of minimally invasive and robotic procedures.
Surgical smoke is becoming an increasingly important priority for hospitals with a need to address both visibility and safety in the operating room, supported by growing regulatory and compliance tailwinds. Solutions that integrate seamlessly into surgical workflows will define the next phase of adoption. Alesi Surgical offers a fundamentally different approach to smoke management that addresses the problem at its source. As the industry moves toward smoke-free operating theatres becoming the norm, Ultravision2 is well positioned to play a key role.
