In our latest international news in brief, we take a look at some of the recent international health tech headlines that have caught our eye.
AI-powered learning platform, Stepful, secures $31.5 Million in funding to address U.S. healthcare worker shortage
The digital learning platform, Stepful recently received $31.5 million in Series B funding to help address the healthcare worker shortage in the US.
According to the American Hospital Association, the US healthcare system faces a shortage of 3.2 million allied healthcare workers, nurses, and mental health professionals by 2026. They have noted how traditional educational models, such as community colleges and trade schools, “often require in-person attendance, have enrolment caps, and are costly”, which ultimately “limits their scalability in addressing these shortages”.
Stepful provides virtual instructor-led courses, which have reportedly “yielded industry-leading outcomes”, highlighting their “strong growth” in enrolment, with nearly 30,000 enrolees projected for 2025. They plan to use this funding to expand their B2B offering for continued growth in their health system partnerships. “This funding supports our mission to make healthcare training more accessible while addressing the U.S. shortage of healthcare workers,” Carl Madi, CEO of Stepful commented.
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium conducts EHR assessment
The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is working with impact advisors to conduct an assessment into their EHR system, as the contract with their current vendor soon comes to an end.
As part of this assessment, they are seeking “critical feedback” from members of the Tribal Health Organisation on their experiences with the current system, why the topic is so important for the organisation and how the ideal EHR would support statewide, specialty care.
This marks the first stage of informing their next steps, with the team at NTHC noting how they have already had “a diversity of perspectives will help us understand operational inefficiencies, gaps in care coordination, and opportunities we should strive for over the next 10 years”.
Paris-based medtech startup, Robeauté, raises $28m for the development of neurosurgical microrobots
Led by robotics veteran Bertrand Duplat and operations expert Joana Cartocci, Robeaute aims to “revolutionise neurosurgery” using a “minimally invasive approach”. As such, they have developed microrobots that are “the size of a grain of rice,” to enter the brain to diagnose, treat, and monitor neurological conditions. These microrobots move along curved routes through the extracellular matrix to safely reach multiple sites and carry out whichever task is required locally.
The startup shared more on the reasoning behind the use of this technology, explaining how, “modular medical devices can embark on specific missions depending on the pathology, making them the ideal tool to deliver molecules, implant an electrode and collect cell or live-data samples.”
This technology is currently being used as a biopsy tool in animal studies, with plans for it to be used for treatment and real-time monitoring in the future. The new funding—which comes from Plural, Cherry Ventures and Kindred Ventures, with participation from Brainlab—will be used to continue developing the microrobots and begin human trials in 2026.
South Australia announces ePCR tender recipient
South Australia’s ambulance service has announced healthcare information systems company, Dedalus, as the successful tender recipient for the implementation of an electronic patient care record.
The $23.5 million State Government investment aims to help transform South Australia’s ambulance service, giving ambulance crews the tools to electronically document patient information for the first time. The ePCR system is set to “empower on-road clinicians to access some patient level data, helping to build the clinical profile that enhances the quality of care provided”, with a statewide rollout planned for mid-2026, covering over 500 ambulance fleet.
More than 100,000 referrals received on Tasmanian Government’s eReferrals system
Tasmania’s eReferral system has reportedly seen more than 100,000 referrals since its launch in 2022. The system was developed as part of a collaborative partnership between Primary Health Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government to replace a handwritten and fax-based system. It works by logging a referral with a specialist service or clinic, before notifying GPs of receipt to ensure patients receive the appropriate treatment.
Minister for health, Jacquie Petrusma, said: “under our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future we are determined to see better efficiency in our healthcare system, and the Digital Health Transformation will be vitally important in achieving this goal.”
Lagos state staff commission four new digital projects to help improve patient experience
The Lagos State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Global Fund and the Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results (SOMLPforR), have commissioned a series of projects designed to “enhance digital healthcare” as well as “power reliability and security” at the Folarin Coker Staff Clinic in Alausa, Ikeja. This includes a state-of-the-art EMR; a 30kVA hybrid lithium-powered solar inverter system; a 25-camera CCTV system; and the installation of 38 electrical fans.
Special advisor to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi commented, “healthcare is a complex system, and every part must work together seamlessly. Digitalisation is not just about catching up; it’s about creating a system that’s efficient, patient-centered, and data-driven”.
