Dive Brief:
- MMI said Thursday it raised $125 million in a Series D financing to expand access to its robotic microsurgery system in the U.S. as well as key global markets.
- The Symani robotic system is designed for soft tissue open surgery, allowing surgeons to repair tiny structures such as lymphatic vessels and nerves. The robot filters out tremors while translating the surgeon’s hand and wrist motions into robotic movement of its miniaturized instruments.
- MMI also plans to use the new funds to generate more clinical evidence for robotic microsurgery, including in the REMIND clinical trial evaluating the robot’s use in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Dive Insight:
MMI’s Symani system received a de novo classification from the Food and Drug Administration for microsurgery in 2024 and was cleared for use in soft tissue dissection the following year. The robot also has CE mark certification in Europe.
About 3,500 complex microsurgical procedures, such as cancer and trauma-related reconstructive surgeries, have been performed worldwide with Symani, which has an installed base of about 50 systems, the company said.
“We’ve proven there is demand for robotic microsurgery at leading institutions around the world,” MMI CEO Mark Toland said in a statement. “Now, our focus is translating that adoption into scale.”
MMI investor BioStar Capital led the latest financing round, and new investors S3 Ventures, Angelini Ventures and an undisclosed strategic corporate investor participated.
MMI said it plans to invest in areas such as energy instruments and digital surgery capabilities, as well as studies such as REMIND and outcomes data that can expand the applications for Symani.
In the REMIND trial, researchers are investigating the safety and feasibility of using Symani for procedures to restore drainage pathways in the deep cervical lymph nodes of the neck in patients with neurodegenerative disease. The goal is to help clear neurotoxins from the brain thought to contribute to the progression of Alzheimer’s.
The Food and Drug Administration gave MMI the go-ahead this summer to expand enrollment in the study to 15 patients.
“Through research like REMIND for Alzheimer’s disease, we’re building the evidence and clinical experience that could help define where robotic microsurgery goes next, and the opportunities are remarkable,” Toland said.
