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

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

EXSURGO TEAM

Richard Little

Chief Executive

CHRISTINE OZOLINS

Chief Science Officer

fAISAL ALMESfER

Chief Technology Officer

ROBERT IRvING

Production Engineering

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.
Christine is a Psychologist and Neuroscientist. Christine has held clinical neuroscience research positions in Imperial College London, Oxford Brookes University and Birbeck University. Christine’s original prize-winning published research in EEG Neurofeedback has included study design and management, advanced research methods, clinical statistics, trial publication and presentation. Christine is passionate about the field of Neurofeedback and as well as managing Exsurgo’s clinical research arm will also oversee the running of the company clinic in London.
Faisal has a Masters in Mechatronics from Auckland University and completed his Thesis on a home use robotic rehabilitation device. Faisal has held key positions in the development of robotic rehabilitation and physical therapy devices including developing ‘thought control’ guided robotic devices. Faisal was the lead robotics engineer on the Rex project and was responsible primarily for the movement and human interaction aspects of the devices.
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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ANkIT PARIkH

Software Engineer

RICHARD LITTLE

Executive Director

yALMAN A kHAN

Independent Director

DAvID ROSS

Chairman

Ankit has been working in the field of embedded firmware development for over ten years. He has recently accomplished a Masters in Bioengineering and shifted his focus to the development of medical devices. In the past, he has lead a hardware team and deployed various devices in the IoT space. He has a strong technical background and a good understanding of all facets of software development. He is passionate about using his skills to contribute to projects that make people’s lives better.
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.
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.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADvISORy BOARD

fERRIS LU

Independent Director

NICk BIRCH

Clinical Advisor

JON GRAHAM

Clinical Advisor

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.
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

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.
Christine is a Psychologist and Neuroscientist. Christine has held clinical neuroscience research positions in Imperial College London, Oxford Brookes University and Birbeck University. Christine’s original prize-winning published research in EEG Neurofeedback has included study design and management, advanced research methods, clinical statistics, trial publication and presentation. Christine is passionate about the field of Neurofeedback and as well as managing Exsurgo’s clinical research arm will also oversee the running of the company clinic in London.

EXSURGO TEAM

fAISAL ALMESfER

Chief Technology Officer

ROBERT IRvING

Production Engineering

Faisal has a Masters in Mechatronics from Auckland University and completed his Thesis on a home use robotic rehabilitation device. Faisal has held key positions in the development of robotic rehabilitation and physical therapy devices including developing ‘thought control’ guided robotic devices. Faisal was the lead robotics engineer on the Rex project and was responsible primarily for the movement and human interaction aspects of the devices.
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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ANkIT PARIkH

Software Engineer

RICHARD LITTLE

Executive Director

Ankit has been working in the field of embedded firmware development for over ten years. He has recently accomplished a Masters in Bioengineering and shifted his focus to the development of medical devices. In the past, he has lead a hardware team and deployed various devices in the IoT space. He has a strong technical background and a good understanding of all facets of software development. He is passionate about using his skills to contribute to projects that make people’s lives better.
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.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADvISORy BOARD

fERRIS LU

Independent Director

NICk BIRCH

Clinical Advisor

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.
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.

ADvISORy BOARD

JON GRAHAM

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.

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