These synthetic body parts are bringing unprecedented realism to medical testing, robotics, and Hollywood.
See our guide to this year’s hottest new businesses and most exceptional founders in the complete 2026 Startups 100 index.
Founders: Nazmus Tareque and Dr Raoul Peltier
Year founded: 2024
Website: anthrotek.com
Dr Raoul Peltier left his role as a senior material scientist to start making cinema-grade silicone prosthetics in his garage. But it was his co-founder, Nazmus Tareque, who saw what value Peltier’s lifelike creations could bring to the medical community, too.
AnthroTek uses proprietary multi-layered silicone composites with AI-powered 3D modelling to create hyper-realistic anatomical replicas, such as artificial skin and body parts. Unlike existing synthetic models, AnthroTek’s creations replicate the complexity of actual human anatomy – they look, feel, and behave like real human tissue.
Having launched from a workshop in Newmarket in 2024, AnthroTek now supplies models to medical device manufacturers, human factors research teams, robotics developers, and universities and hospitals, which use the synthetics for surgical and medical training.
On top of this, the startup also provides prosthetics and stunt safety solutions to film studios, working on one occasion with an Oscar-winning filmmaker.
AnthroTek has built this network in under a year, setting itself apart by creating synthetics realistic enough to be useful in medical simulation, robotics, and SFX, while other manufacturers often limit themselves to one specialism.
In 2025, AnthroTek raised £950k (making for a total of £1.15 million raised), with the company choosing to handle the seed funding round with AI instead of using a law firm – a UK first. Plus, AnthroTek’s efforts have been recognised by a string of awards, including the Business Weekly Awards and the Cambridge Independent Business Awards 2025.
In five years’ time, AnthroTek wants to be setting the benchmark for lifelike, safe, and intelligent silicone systems not just in the UK, but around the world.
From movie sets to medical labs, AnthroTek is putting the ‘real’ in realism with lifelike silicone that feels, moves, and surprises like the real thing. Whether it’s training surgeons, integrating with robots, or wowing cinemagoers, you’ll have to see it to believe it.
View the full Startups 100 Index for 2026
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