EnAcuity CEO reflects on commercialisation challenges

UCLB has hosted an exclusive IO Converse session, where Dr. Maria Leiloglou, CEO and Co-founder of EnAcuity, an AI medical imaging spinout from UCL and Imperial College London, discussed her journey and challenges to date. 

Dr. Leiloglou shared her background with the audience. After completing her physics degree in Greece, she was initially fascinated by astronomy but decided to apply her physics background to medical applications, in particular improving laparoscopic surgery. Maria pursued her master’s and PhD at Imperial College London, focusing on developing a smart camera to improve outcomes in breast cancer surgery. 

During her PhD, Maria collaborated with surgeons, patients, and professors, which influenced her decision to commercialise the specialised cameras developed during her research. 

She explained how EnAcuity’s AI software modality works by learning from data from hyperspectral images and standard colour images to reconstruct hyperspectral images without the need for specialised hardware. The software captures both standard and hyperspectral images simultaneously, allowing the model to learn and replicate hyperspectral imaging using standard cameras. 

This approach eliminates the need for complex and expensive new hardware, making the technology more accessible and practical for surgeons to adopt. 

During her PhD, Dr. Leiloglou explained how she set about on her commercialisation journey, meeting with shareholders, surgeons, and professors, leading to the creation of EnAcuity with UCL and Imperial. 

“UCL and Imperial are very well driven in terms of commercialisation, and they really helped my idea to fly. First with helping me join the right accelerators and getting to understand the market,”

Challenges starting out  

Dr. Leiloglou discussed the challenges of transitioning from a lab to the commercial world, emphasising the importance of interactions, networking, and dealing with uncertainty. 

She highlighted the steep learning curve when transitioning from a lab environment to the commercial world, including acquiring new skills and understanding business dynamics. 

“Anyone following our activity will see that most of our people are from UCL and Imperial. The fact that we can use this network and the ecosystem to find talent is unique. For example if we’re looking for someone who specialised in computer vision for surgery. It’s really helpful that we have direct access to PhD students from UCL, and I meet so many new people that are super keen on commercialisation.” 

EnAcuity now has 11 members of staff, office spaces at UCL and Imperial, and is focused on collecting data for colorectal surgery.  

Following her interview, the audience of academics, including those looking to develop AI-based diagnostics, asked Dr. Leiloglou some insightful questions about developing a market-ready product from their research. 

Dr. Leiloglou shared her positive experiences with various accelerator programmes, including The Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery, WE Innovate at Imperial, and the Royal Academy of Engineering. 

She also answered questions on the complexities of getting technology procured by hospitals, and emphasised the importance of having a product ready and the support of the clinical team. 

When asked about the next steps for EnAcuity, Dr. Leiloglou noted there are regulatory hurdles to overcome getting it to hospitals, adding that she is considering licensing opportunities with hardware providers. 

 

Discover more about EnAcuity and Dr. Leiloglou’s journey, watch here: 

 

 

 

Join us

Join us for the next IO Converse session on 2nd July, 12.30-2pm, featuring UCLB’s Caitriona O’Rourke in conversation with the founders of Guilford Street Labs to discuss their journey in creating a service-based company. Details will appear on UCLB’s Events page.