Pontiro secures £357,500 to expand healthcare AI infrastructure

European healthtech company Pontiro has secured £357,500 in a new funding round, signaling a significant push to enhance AI infrastructure within the healthcare sector. This investment, led by SFC Capital with participation from Plug and Play Ventures and the British Business Bank, highlights the growing demand for specialized solutions that facilitate the safe and compliant use of sensitive medical imaging data for research and artificial intelligence development. The funding will enable Pontiro to scale its operations and address a critical bottleneck in healthcare AI adoption. Pontiro's platform tackles the historically slow and manual processes involved in preparing medical imaging data for AI research. By automating tasks such as secure anonymisation and validation, the company has already processed over 2 million medical images for NHS Wales, supporting AI development and clinical teaching workflows. This approach not only accelerates turnaround times for data preparation but also significantly reduces compliance risks, demonstrating tangible operational value in a sector increasingly focused on measurable outcomes from AI deployments. This funding round will enable Pontiro to expand its reach beyond NHS Wales, with plans to support NHS England trusts and engage with organizations exploring AI evaluation frameworks. The company's focus on building infrastructure that demonstrably improves the real-world impact of AI in healthcare positions it as a key player in the European digital health landscape. Pontiro's expansion also aligns with the broader European drive towards digital sovereignty by developing robust, locally-sourced solutions for critical sectors like healthcare.