High equipment costs, a steep learning curve, and accessibility issues in remote areas are among the biggest problems surgical institutes face today. Additionally, there is a lack of standardization in surgical procedures, which can lead to varying patient outcomes.
To combat these issues, startups in robot-assisted surgery are developing machine-led solutions that simplify surgeons’ work and improve the predictability of the surgeries. For instance, ROBO Medical’s endoscopic surgical system gives doctors superior dexterity while reducing procedural costs and complexity. Brain Navi’s autonomous robot lets surgeons plan the steps and have the system execute them with extreme precision.
This post discusses five such innovative startups developing robot-assisted surgery solutions in 2024.
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1. Aibo Medical Robot
| Founding Year | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Shenzhen, China |
| Total Funding Amount | $32.9M |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Series A/CN ¥100M |
| Website | abrobo.com |
| Innovative Tech | develops vascular interventional surgery robots |
Aibo Medical Robot is a high-tech medical robotics company that develops vascular interventional surgery robots.
The company’s core product is a surgery robot system suitable for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), peripheral vascular intervention (PVI), and neurovascular intervention (NVI) surgeries. This system can match various standardized guidewires and catheters on the market.
Their virtual reality intervention surgery training system is mainly used for preoperative planning and surgical simulation training for vascular intervention surgery. It can help young doctors learn faster. The startup claims several top hospitals intend to purchase it.
The startup aims to create a vascular interventional surgery control system with independent intellectual property rights that benefits surgeons and patients.
The founder, Shuxiang Guo, Ph. D., is an expert with a worldwide reputation in medical robots for minimally invasive surgery. He has published more than 885 IEEE journal and conference papers, multiple Japan and China patents, and books.
Aibo Medical Robot has raised a total of CN¥220M in funding. Their latest funding was raised on Jun 1, 2023.
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2. ROBO Medical
| Founding Year | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Shenzhen, China |
| Total Funding Amount | Undisclosed |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Series A |
| Website | en.docrobo.com |
| Innovative Tech | producing surgical and tele-ultrasound robots |
ROBO Medical specializes in producing surgical and tele-ultrasound robots. Its products include a Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Surgery Auxiliary Operating System and a Dual-channel endoscopic surgical operating system, which is under research.
Its gastrointestinal Endoscopy Surgery Assistant provides a versatile and cost-effective way to enhance traditional endoscopic procedures. It attaches directly to existing endoscopes without modifying their structure. It introduces additional robotic arms to assist during complex procedures like tumor removal.
These robotic arms increase dexterity and allow tissue manipulation while enabling doctors to maintain their standard endoscopic operating techniques. Compatible across different endoscope models, the system negates the need for hospitals to invest in new, specialized equipment, reducing adoption costs.
Further, It provides surgical aid through seamless integration with traditional endoscopes at an economical price.
The founder, Jialin Yang, is an expert in ultrasound robotics. He has published a paper on a robot-assisted ultrasound scanning system in IEEE.
ROBO Medical has raised funding via 1 Series A on Jun 5, 2023. The amount is undisclosed.
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3. TAUREAN SURGICAL
| Founding Year | 2023 |
| Headquarters | Hyderabad, India |
| Total Funding Amount | Publicly Not Available |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Pre-Seed/Undisclosed |
| Website | taureansurgical.com |
| Innovative Tech | creates medical robots related to Neurosurgery and ENT |
TAUREAN SURGICAL designs and creates medical robots for Neurosurgery and ENT. It is also working on a hyperrealistic AR surgical navigation system. The startup aims to democratize access to robotic surgery in emerging markets.
It empowers surgeons to safely and efficiently perform surgical procedures on more patients across various medical specialties and geographical locations. Additionally, it assists hospitals in reducing their rates of patient readmission following surgical procedures.
The CEO, Dr. Rahul Kumar, is an ENT and head and Neck Surgeon. He has a Master of Surgery—MS in Otolaryngology from Osmania Medical College and a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery—MBBS.
Dr. Kumar has a couple of patents on innovative key surgical robotics and advanced respiratory technologies.
Their funding details are undisclosed.
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4. Agilis Robotics
| Founding Year | 2021 |
| Headquarters | Sha Tin, Hong Kong |
| Total Funding Amount | $6M |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Series A / $6M |
| Website | www.agilisrobotics.com |
| Innovative Tech | Develops robotic instruments for endoluminal surgery |
Agilis Robotics builds fully flexible robotic instruments for endoluminal surgery, which involves operating through the body’s natural openings and cavities. The robotic system can smoothly integrate into surgeons’ current clinical workflows, greatly reducing the learning curve associated with endoscopic surgery.
With the flexible operation capabilities, the entire tumor tissue can be effectively removed. This is especially beneficial for early-stage cancers of the gastrointestinal tract (digestive system) and urinary tract due to the fully flexible robotic arm.
The startup aims to provide clinicians with next-generation minimally invasive instruments. These advanced instruments provide more effective and affordable early-stage patient care than traditional open surgery.
Its CEO, Justin D.L. Ho, has a degree in Mechanical Engineering in Medical Robotics from the University of Hong Kong and prior experience co-founding and running robotics companies.
Agilis Robotics raised $6M in funding in a Series A round on August 15, 2022.
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5. Brain Navi Biotechnology
| Founding Year | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park, Taiwan |
| Total Funding Amount | Not Available |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Non-equity Assistance |
| Website | brainnavi.com |
| Innovative Tech | Autonomous surgical navigation robot |
Brain Navi Biotechnology focuses on developing innovative navigation and robotic techniques for surgeons to improve accuracy.
The startup’s main product is NaoTrac, the first Autonomous surgical navigation robot that combines high-precision technology with surgeons’ experience to improve accuracy and surgical outcomes. It streamlines surgical procedures and enhances the learning curve using artificial intelligence (AI), machine vision, and robot-assisted surgery.
Its unique autonomous procedure allows the surgeon to plan the surgery, and then NaoTrac acts as an assistive robot to carry out the planned steps.
Through features like non-contact registration, pre-op planning, 3D vision for navigation, and autonomous robot assistance, NaoTrac aims to improve accuracy, enhance surgical workflows, and act as an intelligent aide to the neurosurgeon during procedures.
Its CEO, Dr. Jerry Chen, has a Ph.D. in Biomedical/Medical Engineering from the National Cheng Kung University in Biomedical Engineering.
Brain Navi Biotechnology has raised funding over two rounds. The amount remains undisclosed.
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