Karl Storz will lay off 108 employees at the headquarters of its Asensus Surgical robotics subsidiary in Morrisville, North Carolina, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice filed with the state on June 16.
The cuts are the result of an organizational realignment and business conditions that necessitate a workforce reduction, the German medtech company said in its letter.
The layoffs, expected to start on Aug. 15 and continue over six months, come as the company plans to end development of Asensus’ standalone robotics platform.
When Karl Storz acquired Asensus in 2024, executives said the merger would advance development of the next generation Luna robotic system. Now, Karl Storz will discontinue development activities related to Luna robotics hardware, the company said in a statement to MedTech Dive.
Relevant technologies, data and expertise will be integrated into Karl Storz’s wider portfolio, the company said.
“The software engineering expertise, clinical data, and intellectual property developed by Asensus will be integrated into KARL STORZ’s Global R&D organization, where they will serve as an innovation engine for its entire surgical ecosystem,” according to the emailed statement. The expertise is expected to accelerate progress in intelligent imaging and connected systems.
In addition, Karl Storz will phase out its current robotic platform, the Senhance system. The company said it was working with customers to support the transition.
“Robotics will remain a valuable layer of the surgical environment for certain applications and patient groups,” Karl Storz said.
The job cuts at Asensus include senior executives, managers across multiple functions and about 30 engineers. Asensus employs more than 200 people in 12 countries. The Morrisville facility will remain open.
As part of the integration plan, future developments will run under the Karl Storz brand, and the Asensus brand will be retired, Karl Storz said in its statement.
