Bristol, UK-based medtech startup Siloton has secured an £8.4 million contract from Innovate UK to accelerate the development of its quantum-enabled retinal imaging technology and bring advanced eye scans closer to patients. Awarded through the Contracts for Innovation: Quantum Missions Primer initiative, the two-year agreement will support the development and clinical trials of Siloton’s GiraffeOCT device, which is designed for use in clinics and at home. The company estimates that the contract could shorten its development timeline by up to two years.
Developing Portable Retinal Imaging Technology
Founded in 2020, Siloton develops photonic chip technology designed to make optical coherence tomography (OCT) more accessible. OCT uses light to produce detailed images of the retina, helping clinicians diagnose and monitor eye diseases. However, conventional systems are typically large, expensive and concentrated in hospitals and specialist clinics, limiting access for patients who require regular monitoring.
Siloton’s GiraffeOCT system aims to address these limitations by integrating optical components that would normally occupy a tabletop into a photonic chip smaller than a £1 coin. The technology is being developed as a portable, binocular-style device that could allow patients to undergo retinal scans in community healthcare settings or at home. Siloton has already demonstrated its chip-based imaging technology, including capturing images of the human eye, but its clinical devices remain under development.
The company will work with Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital to conduct clinical trials of the in-clinic version of GiraffeOCT, while the York Health Economics Consortium will assess data from the project to refine estimates of potential cost savings for the NHS. The technology could help address demand for ophthalmology services, which accounted for approximately 623,000 patients waiting for appointments in England at the end of July 2026, representing 8.7% of all NHS waiting-list cases.
Contract to Accelerate Clinical Trials and Product Development
The £8.4 million contract will support the development and testing of both the in-clinic and at-home versions of GiraffeOCT, alongside work on miniaturising electronic components, preparing manufacturing processes and expanding the company’s technical capabilities. Siloton expects to grow its team to 16 employees by August 2028, creating roles across photonics, electronics and software development.
The project will also support the integration of Siloton’s second-generation BlueJay photonic chip and the development of the cloud platform underpinning its imaging technology. Alongside GiraffeOCT, the company is developing CheetahOCT, a next-generation device designed to measure additional retinal layers and expand the range of conditions its technology can detect.
Siloton is also planning to raise additional investment following the contract award to support its longer-term development and commercialisation plans. The company, led by CEO Alasdair Price, has previously worked with organisations including the European Space Agency on applications for monitoring eye health in astronauts.
The contract represents a step towards clinical deployment of Siloton’s technology, although further development and trials are required before its devices can become widely available to NHS patients.
