Surgical Automations, a Dallas-based surgical-robotics company leveraging AI and automation to transform gastrointestinal endoscopy, announced that it completed a $3.4 million oversubscribed seed round earlier this year. The round was co-led by Dr. Fred Moll, co-founder of Intuitive Surgical (Nasdaq: ISRG)—a $192 billion company that invented da Vinci robotic surgical system—and TurboStart, a Bengaluru, India–based cross-border VC firm.
Still operating in stealth mode, Surgical Automations was co-founded by CEO Sanket Chauhan, MD; Chief Operating Officer Ritambhara Chauhan, a lawyer who specializes in corporate and IP property rights; and Jason Blackstone, who is also a patent, IP, and cybersecurity partner at L.A.-based law firm Buchalter PC.
The company is developing the Vāsuki Robotic System, a next-gen platform for upper and lower GI diagnostic and interventional procedures. Named after the king of the Nagas serpent race in Hinduism, Vāsuki “empowers physicians with the strength and control to navigate complexity and bring life-saving clarity to patient care,” the company says on its website.
Video still: Surgical Automations
Surgical Automations says it has advanced breakthroughs in robotics, advanced sensing, and AI-driven automated navigation, automating critical steps of endoscopic procedures including colonoscopy. The company said its robots provide “unprecedented vision and control to the gastroenterologist,” making GI screening “safer, faster, and easier for endoscopists by simplifying procedures and elevating precision.”
You can see an animated POV video of the company’s miniature robot identifying lesions, removing polyps, and performing other procedures here.
‘Mathematically calculated’
In an archive interview on the Scope Forward podcast, CEO Chauhan shared insights on the integration of robotics in gastroenterology.
“A robot doesn’t make inefficient movements,” he said on the podcast. “A robot goes from one point to another which is mathematically calculated and the shortest path possible.”
He added: “Don’t forget that a robot is part of the team as well.”
Investors weigh in
“Surgical robotics is entering a new era where automation and intelligence are poised to transform clinical care,” co-lead investor Fred Moll said in a statement. “Surgical Automations is pursuing one of the most important opportunities in endoscopy, combining bold innovation with the pragmatism needed to bring meaningful change to patient care.”
Ganesh Raju, founder of TurboStart, noted that colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths, “yet the screening experience remains painful, inconsistent, and underserved by technology.”
“We backed Surgical Automations because they’re re-imagining this from first principles with the right blend of AI, robotics, and regulatory clarity,” Raju added in a statement. “This team’s deep domain insight aligns with our thesis of backing global deep-tech for human health.”
In addition to institutional investors, the seed round also drew several physicians and individual members from community organizations including the Rajput Association of North America, the Indian Institute of Technology, Alumni Association of North Texas, and the Maharana Association of North America, the company said.
Dr. Srinivas ‘Benne’ Bette, founder of the IIT Entrepreneur Advisor Network, said Surgical Automations “exemplifies the kind of global, deep-technology innovation that advances human health while being headquartered in North Texas.”
Surgical Automations is currently advancing the Vāsuki Robotic System toward pre-clinical validation and first-in-human studies. In the meantime, it says it continues to operate “largely in stealth.”
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Perry Genova most recently served as SVP of R&D at EndoQuest Robotics and Titan Medical USA. He has more than 25 years of experience in product development, strategic planning, and regulatory compliance.
