Bruce Lichorowic
Galen Robotics, which is commercializing a surgical robotic developed at a Johns Hopkins analysis lab, has introduced the primary shut of a Collection A spherical, after elevating $15 million from traders led by California’s Ambix Healthcare Companions. It concurrently introduced a second shut for its Collection A price a further $5 million.
“We would be the first robotic firm to launch utilizing an on-demand enterprise mannequin,” mentioned Galen Robotics CEO Bruce Lichorowic, after the Baltimore startup swiftly pivoted from attempting to promote its robots to a so-called “digital-surgery-as-a-service” mannequin. The change makes Galen’s robotic providers extra reasonably priced for hospitals which have financially struggled for the reason that coronavirus pandemic amid a pointy drop in elective surgical procedures.
“We watched this crew take an early surgical robotic prototype from Johns Hopkins College’s robotics lab, develop it into a possible recreation changer, and submit it to FDA, all throughout a pandemic,” mentioned Dr. Aaron Berez, Ambix’s managing director. “Add to that the present state of provide chain points, and financial uncertainty, and we’re very impressed with how this crew was in a position to constantly execute and hit their milestones.”
Extra Use Circumstances
Galen Robotics was based in 2016 to commercialize a Robotic ENT Microsurgical System developed by Dr. Kevin Olds and Dr. Russell Taylor at Johns Hopkins College’s Laboratory of Computational Sensing and Robotics. The duo’s know-how aimed to enhance ergonomics and stability throughout “slender hall” surgical procedures like these in ear, nostril and throat. Galen has tailored it for soft-tissue surgical procedures and plans to retool it for neurosurgery, backbone and cardiothoracic procedures, too.
Galen ES — the corporate’s first business product — helps docs in ENT surgical procedures, significantly within the therapy of laryngeal most cancers. The robotic, which will be deployed in below 4 minutes, is being reviewed by the FDA. Galen expects a scientific use approval within the first half of 2023.
‘Crossover’ CEO
Galen Robotics is led by Bruce Lichorowic, a self-termed “crossover” chief who brings collectively excessive tech and healthcare. He brings experience each from medtech and finance, and held high positions at Trak Surgical and Dynaptics Corp. He additionally served as managing director of BlueFire Capital Companions. Lichorowic cofounded and ran Madison Lane Consulting Group for almost 20 years, scouting for investing alternatives in Silicon Valley.
Ambix Focus
San Francisco-based Aaron Berez, who acquired his MD diploma from Georgetown College College of Medication, runs Ambix Life Science Fund I, raised by Ambix Enterprise Administration. Moreover Galen Robotis, Ambix’s fund has invested in CorVista Well being. Beforehand, Berez cofounded and led Chestnut Medical Applied sciences, which was acquired by ev3 in 2009. He has been related to a number of medtech firms, together with Sensible Therapeutics and Endovasix, and serves as an adviser to many extra.
