Investment amount: Up to £100.

Application deadline: Friday 22 May 2026.

Main contact: research@oruk.org

Driving scalable innovation across MSK care

Our impact investments support research and innovation that deliver measurable improvements in outcomes for people living with MSK conditions, while also strengthening the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of healthcare delivery. We focus on initiatives that benefit patients, clinicians, and healthcare providers alike, recognising that lasting impact is achieved when innovations are embedded into real‑world clinical practice.

We prioritise opportunities that translate research into implementation at pace and at scale – supporting people, teams, and technologies with the potential to:

• Improve quality of life and functional outcomes for individuals affected by MSK conditions;
• Enable clinicians to deliver safer, more effective, and more efficient care; and
• Support healthcare providers and systems through improved pathways, reduced burden, and better use of resources.

Our investments target innovations that lead to:

• Improved clinical practices and care processes, including earlier diagnosis, better decision‑making, and optimised treatment pathways; and/or
• New products, services, and technologies that can be adopted across healthcare settings and scaled to deliver long‑term social and system‑level returns.

We invest across a broad spectrum of MSK research and innovation areas with clear routes to impact, including but not limited to:

• Digital and data‑enabled healthcare: AI, big data, digital health tools, and computational modelling
• Biological and translational science: cell, bone and soft‑tissue biology
• Devices and materials: biomaterials, biomechanics, prosthetics, and surgical technologies
• Condition‑focused innovation: osteoarthritis, pain, bone fractures, spine and back conditions, rheumatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, infection, and bone cancer
• Clinical and surgical specialties: hip, knee, shoulder, foot & ankle, hand & wrist, trauma and orthopaedic surgery
• Population and system priorities: paediatric care, co‑morbidity, rehabilitation and exercise, and MSK health awareness and prevention

By aligning patient benefit with clinical utility and system adoption, our impact approach aims to accelerate the translation of research into practice – improving care delivery today while generating sustainable, scalable societal impact for the future.

The purpose of the fund

The fund aims to honour the pioneering, entrepreneurial legacy of Ronald Furlong through:

• Investment of up to £100K in UK-registered startups.
• Supporting entrepreneurs accelerate innovative and commercially viable ideas to solve the unmet needs of society around bone, joint and muscle wellbeing.
• ORUK will ask for equity in the company and the amount will be negotiated at the final stage depending on various business factors, e.g., size, stage of development, nature of the activity, etc.

The application

The Ronald Furlong Fund uses a two‑stage application and review process designed to ensure a proportionate, efficient, and founder‑focused experience.

Who can apply?

Startups with passionate and driven individuals with game-changing ideas are invited to apply.

• Must be backed by evidence-based research or developing evidence
• Must be a UK-based company and registered with Companies House in the UK
• Pre-seed/seed-level startups only
• Must have a clear business and financial plan.
• While not a requirement, we would highly encourage Early Career Researchers’ (ECR) active involvement in the team. ECRs: Early career clinical and non-clinical researchers within eight years of their PhD award or equivalent professional training, or within six years of their first academic appointment.

Stage 1: Short video pitch (initial screening)

Applicants are first invited to submit a short video pitch of up to 5 minutes using Loom.

The video should cover:

• The unmet problem in musculoskeletal (MSK) health.
• The proposed solution and what makes it innovative.
• The potential impact for patients, clinicians, or the healthcare system.
• The stage of development and pathway to translation or scale.
• A brief overview of the team behind the project.

Loom video pitch guidance

• Length: Maximum 5 minutes
• Format: Share the link of your Loom recording (no file uploads). Please see a guide on how to record and share a video. Please set the video sharing settings to ‘Anyone with link can view’.
• Please title the video ‘[Start-up name], The Ronald Furlong Fund 2026’
• Who should present: Founder(s) or project lead (solo or joint)
• How to share your pitch:  Submit your Loom link through the Ronald Furlong Fund application form on https://oruk.grantplatform.com/
• Production quality is not assessed. Applicants are encouraged to focus on clarity rather than polish.

We recommend structuring your pitch as:

1. Who you are
2. The problem
3. Your solution
4. Why this matters (impact)
5. Evidence of feasibility or traction
6. Your team and next steps

You need to present slides.

This stage is intended to be light‑touch and does not require a full written application.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to progress to Stage 2.

Stage 2: Full application and interview

Applicants shortlisted from Stage 1 will be invited to:

1. Submit a full written application, covering:

• The innovation or product in detail.
• Market need and differentiation.
• Clinical, regulatory, and adoption considerations.
• Development plan and milestones.
• Team capability, governance, and partnerships.

2. Attend an interview with the Ronald Furlong Fund assessment panel.

Final funding decisions are made following evaluation of the written application and interview.

Important information

• Only applicants invited to Stage 2 will submit a full application.
• Feedback will not be provided to unsuccessful Stage 1 applicants.
• ORUK reserves the right to adjust timelines or request additional information.

Key Dates

How many startups will be funded?

One (depending on the quality and requested budget).

Previous Furlong Fund winners

• Renovos
• Radii Devices
• Amotio Health
• Embed Biotech