Exsurgo is made up of passionate multi-disciplinary professionals working together to design and engineer clinically validated medical products that ease suffering and enhance human potential.

Founded In 2015 by Richard Little and Faisal Almesfer, and joined by Christine Ozolins in 2019, the Exsurgo team believes that the world deserves access to affordable, drug-free, pain relief.
The founding trio are award-winning bioengineering and clinical specialists with experience in the development, validation and commercialisation of medical devices and services.

With a 17-year history in the rehabilitation sector, the Exsurgo team is leading the way in developing engineered products that ease human suffering and enhance human potential.
Exsurgo’s game changing technology is poised to reframe the way the world manages health and wellbeing. From pain and depression to stroke recovery, migraine, ADHD, PTSD, spinal injuries and brain injuries – the possibilities of its application are immeasurable.

The Exsurgo Team

EXECUTIVE TEAM

Richard Little

Chief Executive

CHRISTINE OZOLINS

Chief Science Officer

fAISAL ALMESfER

Chief Technology Officer

ROBERT IRVING

Production Manager

John Emson

Chief Financial Officer

Jiva Muthu

Chief Operating Officer

Robert is an award-winning medical device engineer; he was Richard’s cofounder on the Rex project and has a solid background of transforming medical device engineering concepts into volume manufactured products. Robert’s production engineering background includes medical device quality and regulatory certification and compliance of production facilities.

John has spent over 30 years in finance and M&A across the technology, manufacturing, health and education sectors. In his CFO role, Emson’s focus will be on ensuring Exsurgo has the operational and financial systems to handle its anticipated rapid growth, including compliance with regulatory obligations in a range of key overseas target markets. Emson has an MBA from the University of Birmingham and moved to New Zealand from the UK in 2015.

Jiva has extensive experience encompassing the complete product lifecycle from product development through to manufacturing and market approvals.  He has 18 years experience in the medical devices industry with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Rex Bionics and Dynamic Controls (an Invacare subsidiary).  He has held roles in engineering, R&D management, marketing, global product management, quality and regulatory management. He has a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master of Engineering Studies in Medical Devices and Technologies from Auckland University.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

RICHARD LITTLE

Executive Director

yALMAN A kHAN

Independent Director

DAvID ROSS

Chairman

Yalman is a managing partner in MPACTUM Capital who are active investors in Exsurgo and advisors on capital raising, investor relations and business strategy. Yalman has a background as an entrepreneur and 30 years in the venture capital and private equity industry. MPACTUM invests in transformational business globally that have a compelling social impact.
David’s many corporate directorships give him a broad involvement over a wide range of industries. David has operated a consultancy practice as a chartered account for many years and has been actively involved in the corporate world as well as acting as an investor and board member in a significant number of start-up high technology projects and has also been involved with cinemas, film distribution and television. David also chairs Auckland-based biotechnology company, Kode Biotech.

CLINICAL ADVISORS

NICk BIRCH

Clinical Advisor

JON GRAHAM

Clinical Advisor

Nick is a consultant spinal specialist with expertise in diagnosing and treating complex pain and neurological disorders associated with the spine, including the sequelae of spinal cord injury. He is nationally and internationally recognised as an expert in the fields of central pain sensitisation associated with spinal conditions and bone stress injuries in the spine. He holds the post of Medical Director, Real Health Pain Management in Rugby, Warwickshire, a centre offering high intensity, residential combined physical and psychological programs for people with persistent severe pain. Nick is the Spine Editor for the Bone and Joint Journal and he a director of several med-tech companies.
Jon is a Consultant Neurological Physiotherapist with over 25 years of experience of treating individuals with complex Neurological conditions and Polytrauma using manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and technology. He is recognised as an expert in Neurological Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Technology including Exoskeletons and FES and is the Clinical Director of PhysioFunction, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of private out-patient and community neurological rehabilitation. He also acts as an Expert Witness producing medico-legal reports for solicitors, case managers and other health professionals. Jon has published articles in physiotherapy and neurological nursing journals, and co-authored articles in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.

The Exsurgo Team

EXSURGO TEAM

Richard Little

Chief Executive

CHRISTINE OZOLINS

Chief Science Officer

EXSURGO TEAM

fAISAL ALMESfER

Chief Technology Officer

ROBERT IRvING

Production Engineering

Robert is an award-winning medical device engineer; he was Richard’s cofounder on the Rex project and has a solid background of transforming medical device engineering concepts into volume manufactured products. Robert’s production engineering background includes medical device quality and regulatory certification and compliance of production facilities.

EXSURGO TEAM

JOHN EMSON

Chief Financial Officer

JIVA MUTHU

Chief Operating Officer

John has spent over 30 years in finance and M&A across the technology, manufacturing, health and education sectors. In his CFO role, Emson’s focus will be on ensuring Exsurgo has the operational and financial systems to handle its anticipated rapid growth, including compliance with regulatory obligations in a range of key overseas target markets. Emson has an MBA from the University of Birmingham and moved to New Zealand from the UK in 2015.

Jiva has extensive experience encompassing the complete product lifecycle from product development through to manufacturing and market approvals.  He has 18 years experience in the medical devices industry with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Rex Bionics and Dynamic Controls (an Invacare subsidiary).  He has held roles in engineering, R&D management, marketing, global product management, quality and regulatory management. He has a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master of Engineering Studies in Medical Devices and Technologies from Auckland University.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

RICHARD LITTLE

Executive Director

yalman

yALMAN A kHAN

Independent Director

Richard is a multi-award-winning inventor and engineer with numerous patents to his name, in the past Richard has held a range of Directorships, C level and other senior positions in a range of engineering, military and medical businesses. Richard’s previous enterprise Rex Bionics was listed in an IPO in 2014 on the UK AIM stock exchange.
Yalman is a managing partner in MPACTUM Capital who are active investors in Exsurgo and advisors on capital raising, investor relations and business strategy. Yalman has a background as an entrepreneur and 30 years in the venture capital and private equity industry. MPACTUM invests in transformational business globally that have a compelling social impact.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

david

DAvID ROSS

Chairman

David’s many corporate directorships give him a broad involvement over a wide range of industries. David has operated a consultancy practice as a chartered account for many years and has been actively involved in the corporate world as well as acting as an investor and board member in a significant number of start-up high technology projects and has also been involved with cinemas, film distribution and television. David also chairs Auckland-based biotechnology company, Kode Biotech.
Ferris is a founding partners and directors of Zino Ventures New Zealand and is playing an active role in the management of its growth fund. Ferris is a part-time partner of a Chinese private equity fund with an AUM of more than US$1bn. Ferris is also an active angel investor in China. He is helping tech start-ups, to build an ecosystem within which the core technology solutions are available and sustainable, and members can give support to one another. Ferris travels back and forth between New Zealand and China, connecting the resources from both countries to create value.

ADvISORy BOARD

JON GRAHAM

Clinical Advisor

NICk BIRCH

Clinical Advisor

Jon is a Consultant Neurological Physiotherapist with over 25 years of experience of treating individuals with complex Neurological conditions and Polytrauma using manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and technology. He is recognised as an expert in Neurological Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Technology including Exoskeletons and FES and is the Clinical Director of PhysioFunction, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of private out-patient and community neurological rehabilitation. He also acts as an Expert Witness producing medico-legal reports for solicitors, case managers and other health professionals. Jon has published articles in physiotherapy and neurological nursing journals, and co-authored articles in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.
Nick is a consultant spinal specialist with expertise in diagnosing and treating complex pain and neurological disorders associated with the spine, including the sequelae of spinal cord injury. He is nationally and internationally recognised as an expert in the fields of central pain sensitisation associated with spinal conditions and bone stress injuries in the spine. He holds the post of Medical Director, Real Health Pain Management in Rugby, Warwickshire, a centre offering high intensity, residential combined physical and psychological programs for people with persistent severe pain. Nick is the Spine Editor for the Bone and Joint Journal and he a director of several med-tech companies.

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