How IMRA are pioneering surgical training without sacrifice

Medtech is undeniably booming, and medical professionals have access to more gadgets than ever before.

The surgical robotics market is worth some US$10 billion globally. In a decade, it will be worth more than twice that.

But the way surgeons learn to use surgical technology has remained unchanged for centuries.

North Melbourne-based IMRA Surgical is turning that around, revolutionising surgical training and improving outcomes for patients.

Surgical training without sacrifice

IMRA Surgical designs and manufactures hyper-realistic, synthetic and reusable organs for use in medical training, specifically for surgeons learning to use robotics and perform minimally invasive surgery.

“There are four ways surgeons typically learn today,” says CEO Adam Clark.

“They practice on a patient with supervision; they practice on a live animal; they practice on unrealistic trainers; or they practice on a cadaver.”

Each of these options comes with its own ethical, practical and cost concerns. Medtech providers need to train surgeons to use their robots, but to do so is costly for them and time-consuming for the surgeons themselves.

As Head of Product Terrill Anthony explains, IMRA allows for surgical training without sacrificing animal lives, human bodies, or the quality of education.

“We can provide the anatomical correctness of a human, with a ‘live-tissue’ feel, as if surgeons were practising on real people,” Terrill says.

“Surgical training hasn’t largely changed in over 100 years,” Adam adds.

“We can make surgeons better and make surgery safer. That saves the healthcare system time and money, and we know there’s a massive market there.”

Navigating growth

While IMRA works with a handful of teaching hospitals and institutions, most of its clients are MedTech developers, including industry giants Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic and Intuitive Surgical.

In 2023, the scaleup raised $5.6 million, and in the past 12 months, Adam says revenue has doubled.

In the same timeframe, Terrill says the volume of products manufactured and shipped has increased sixfold.

In 2025, the leadership team took part in LaunchVic’s 30X30 executive education program, which seeks to create 30 Victorian tech unicorns by 2030.

The program is designed to equip C-suite leaders with the confidence and capabilities required for super-fast growth through mentorship, training and camaraderie.

Adam says the IMRA team learnt “a tremendous amount” from both mentors and participants; startups at different stages, facing similar challenges, but bringing different perspectives and experiences to share.

One key realisation, Terrill says, was that the team needed to focus on one core strength and one mission.

“Other teams taking part in 30X30 could say, very succinctly, what they do. But we had at least a minute-long spiel, and everyone in the company was saying something a bit different.”

At the time, IMRA was running courses and focusing on education as well as product, trying to be everything to everyone.

“We had to do some ruthless prioritisation,” Terrill says.

“As a startup, it’s easy to see all the shiny things and just do as much as you can. But when you’re scaling, you have to be more targeted.

“We were able to refine our pitch deck and our strategy.”

A hub of MedTech innovation

While IMRA has global ambitions, Adam says the startup will always call Victoria home.

The business has strong ties with Melbourne’s world-class medical training and biotech research institutions and makes use of Australia’s R&D Tax Incentive scheme.

It’s not easy to create a new business, let alone pioneer a new category, wherever you are. But in Victoria, Adam says, IMRA has a pretty good head start.

“We’re doing really worthwhile, important work,” he says.

“But it’s hard. And because it’s hard, it requires an ecosystem of resources and a level of talent that we think is plentiful here in Victoria.

“We can’t do this on our own.”