Belfast startup spotlight: Axial 3D and Pytilia lead the city’s rising-star revival

Surgery meets AI: Axial 3D saves lives with 3D printed models

Above the Limelight nightclub in Ormeau Avenue, Axial 3D operates with a life-saving mission in plain sight. Founded in 2015 by biomedical engineer Daniel Crawford, the startup turns 2D CT and MRI scans into tangible 3D models—in under a minute. These models help surgeons plan delicate procedures, such as infant heart operations, that might otherwise carry too much risk. Its technology is already used in over 400 hospitals across 30 countries, and with backing from GE Healthcare, the firm expects revenues to top £5 million this year.

“If they can’t identify and plan what is really wrong or how they’re going to treat the baby, it’s unethical to try,” CEO Roger Johnston told The Times.

Tech resilience and local talent: how Pytilia quietly keeps growing

Just a 15-minute walk away is Pytilia, co-founded in 2020 by Angela Montgomery and Tim Silversides. Born from shifts during the pandemic, the company helps organisations build lasting digital infrastructures. The firm has grown revenues slightly from £3.5 million in 2023 to £3.6 million in 2024 and expanded its team from 28 to 46. Rather than hiring abroad, Pytilia invests in Belfast’s universities, creating degree-placement pipelines that feed directly into its operations. “You get a year where you try them out and then usually keep them on as graduates,” says Montgomery—a model that pairs talent development with business growth.

What Belfast students—and their dissertations—can learn

What does this have to do with students drafting a dissertation? Quite a lot. These success stories offer templates for academic ambition, illustrating how to combine local networks and innovative thinking. Understanding what goes into a dissertation structure from framing a problem, conducting methodical research, and highlighting impact, becomes clearer when students can point to real, pressing examples rather than abstract theory.

A clear dissertation structure isn’t just an academic checklist, it’s a useful guide for telling a compelling story. Whether exploring how AI can reimagine medical workflows (like Axial 3D) or how homegrown startups can scale while staying rooted in community (like Pytilia), Belfast’s entrepreneurial success suggests powerful themes worthy of research.

The role of support—beyond pure tech

Beyond the tech, both startups underline a softer yet more persistent asset: Belfast’s community cohesion. When Pytilia reprised placements from local grads, it wasn’t merely cost-effective—it reinforced a sense of opportunity, belonging, and shared progress. Meanwhile, partnerships with large firms like GE Healthcare signal that Belfast’s talent is strong enough to compete globally without losing its local base.

That said, not all success stories get equal visibility. Belfast has many rising voices—like Titanic Guitars in Newtownards and Neighbourhood Café—but national attention often misses them. Students studying innovation or business might examine this, as part of a dissertation that tracks how local ecosystems nurture growth, or how physical hubs (like Grand Central station) only succeed with clear narrative structures underpinning them.

A quiet but impactful revival

In the final week of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Belfast’s “Rising Stars” narrative was reinforced when the Go Succeed Ultimate Pitch called local entrepreneurs to write themselves into regional success—for a chance at £6,000 in funding. Each initiative adds to the city’s momentum, showing that innovation isn’t just about scale—it’s about local journeys.

For students, founders, and educators alike, Belfast is becoming a case study in how innovation, mentorship, and community support can converge to tell a better story, both inside the classroom and out.