Picture this: A patient is being prepped for surgery. An incision is made and a small robot is placed inside. Meanwhile, several states away, a surgeon is using virtual reality to control that robot, performing surgery on this patient from hundreds of miles away.
This may seem like science fiction now, but after raising $13.2 million in fresh funding, Charlestown-based Vicarious Surgical is one step closer to making this vision a reality.
The round was led by E15 Capital managing partner Philip Liang, with participation from existing investors including Bill Gates and Khosla Ventures. Liang will join the company’s board of directors.
Vicarious Surgical says the money will be used to further develop its first product: a surgical robotics platform. The company is also hiring, with several open positions across its engineering, operations and product teams.
By combining virtual reality and robotics, Vicarious Surgical aims to “virtually transport” surgeons inside a patient, enabling them to perform minimally invasive surgery using its patented VR headset and controllers. While very cool, this tech also has the potential to expand access and reduce cost in the healthcare industry.
Vicarious Surgical isn’t the only player in the VR-controlled robot game. Startups around the country are turning to similar tech to help humans do everything from diffuse bombs to explore the ocean. E15 Capital has also invested in a slate of similar healthcare companies, including Auris Health, a surgical robotics company that was acquired by Johnson & Johnson for more than $3 billion last year.
“As we approach clinical use with our first product, I am thrilled to bring on Phil, E15 Capital, and the experience of their team,” CEO Adam Sachs said in a statement. “Adding both the capital and E15’s experience in this industry will be invaluable to our success. This is a great milestone and a strong start to the next phase of growth as a company.”
