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Versius surgical robotics systems. | Source: CMR Surgical

CMR Surgical announced today that it raised a funding round worth $165 million (£133 million) and hit a milestone with its surgical robot.

The Cambridge, U.K.–based company develops the Versius surgical robotic system. Versius is a small-scale system with collaborative arms and bedside units for direct patient access. It also features freedom of port placement to best suit the needs of each patient. CMR Surgical features on our list of surgical robotics companies you need to know.

According to a news release, the latest round of funding for CMR Surgical was increased due to strong internal demand. All major existing investors, including Ally Bridge Group, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Escala Capital, LGT and its affiliate Lightrock, RPMI Railpen, SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Tencent and Watrium all led the round.

CMR Surgical earmarked the funds to drive continued product innovation, including new technological developments. The company hopes to support further commercialization for Versius in existing and new geographies. It aims to make minimal access surgery (MAS) universally available and increase the number of robotic surgery procedures globally.

“More and more surgeons and patients are benefiting from Versius, and our latest funding round will allow us to serve even more customers, supporting our continued growth in existing markets, as well as expansion into new key markets,” said Supratim Bose, CEO at CMR Surgical. “Versius’ unique versatility and differentiated offering, enabled by its patented V-wrist technology, continues to receive positive feedback from hospitals and surgical teams. We are inspired by its potential to change the way the world receives surgical care.”

A significant milestone for CMR Surgical

CMR Surgical boasts more than 15,000 surgical cases performed globally with its Versius system. CMR Surgical about doubled its volume over the past year, as it announced the completion of 5,000 procedures in 2022. Intuitive, with more than 20 years on the soft tissue robotics market, comparatively touts more than 10 million procedures performed with its da Vinci systems.

The cases for CRM Surgical’s Versius system span more than 130 complex and benign procedure types. It performs colectomies, hernia repairs, hysterectomies, sacrocolpopexies, and lobectomies across seven surgical specialties. 

CMR Surgical designed Versius to enable surgeons to perform more minimal access surgery. The company says this offers patients “access to the highest quality of surgical care.” Its minimally invasive approach assists surgeons accessing the lungs, thymus and esophagus.

Through small incisions in patients’ ribs, thoracic surgeons can work precisely and accurately in the chest cavity with Versius. It features small, fully wristed instruments and 3D vision. The surgical robot’s small and modular design allows for setup that gives the surgeon optimal rib cage access, according to the company.

“I am incredibly proud of our teams and what CMR stands for as we pass this latest milestone and work towards our vision of making minimal access surgery available to everyone,” Bose said. “The benefits of MAS for patients are enormous, and I am excited to see the continued adoption of Versius around the world, and the positive impact it is having on hospitals, surgeons, and, ultimately, their patients.”

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on our sister site Mass Device.