Fife investor backs pioneering firm behind world’s first wearable device to tackle Tourette’s Syndrome

Nascent technology could be beneficial for other neural conditions in the future.

Ana Stewart (Eos), Peter Forbes, who has Tourette's Syndrome and participated in last year's clinical trials, and Paul Cable (Neupulse). Picture: Stewart Attwood

Eos Advisory, the Fife investment firm, has led a £2.5 million investment into a start-up firm behind the world’s first wearable device to tackle Tourette’s Syndrome.

Neupulse’s recently finalised working prototype stimulates the median nerve in the wrist, reducing the frequency of tics in individuals with the condition, which is estimated to affect as much as 2 per cent of the world’s child population and 1 per cent of the overall population. Clinical trials last year showed the device can reduce tics by over 25 per cent.

Nottingham-based Neupulse has secured £2.5m seed stage investment which has been led by St Andrews-based Eos Advisory, alongside a consortium including US-based investors, as the firm moves towards regulatory approval phase in the UK, Europe, and the US. Neupulse is the trading name for Neurotherapeutics Limited, which was founded as a spinout from the University of Nottingham in 2021.

Ana Stewart, partner, Eos Advisory, said: “Eos was set up to back science-based companies and founders developing technologies that can positively impact the lives of people across the globe. While we are focused on Scottish start-ups, when one of our investors brought the amazing work of Neupulse to our attention we realised that there was a huge opportunity to add value, well beyond the investment, to help bring this device to market and improve the lives of people affected by TS and related conditions. What’s even more exciting, is how the nascent technology could be beneficial for many other neural conditions in the future.”

Paul Cable, chief executive of Neupulse, added: “Tourette’s Syndrome is a debilitating condition, severely so in many cases and to the detriment of quality of life, and our mission is to drastically reduce tics with an easy-to-use wearable device that will be transformative to the lives of affected individuals. Our device is an alternative to the current provision of treatment for TS, which is centred around medication and cognitive behaviour therapy. The goal is for Neupulse to be available to the TS community globally in the years ahead.”

TS is a neurological condition characterised by involuntary, repetitive movements and vocalisations known as tics.