Bill Gates is one of the investors in Vicarious Surgical, an innovative company that produces surgical robots to help doctors perform abdominal surgeries.
According to 'Forbes', quoted by Executive Digest, the tycoon joins names like Vinod Khosla, Eric Schmidt and Jerry Yang, in an investment that aims to reach one billion euros by 2027, thus facing the giants of the surgical robot industry.
A merger with a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) set up by Hong Kong investor Donald Tang is planned. The 1.1 billion deal will bring in $115 million and also medical technology giant Becton Dickinson as an investor.
Vicarious Surgical founders Adam Sachs, Sammy Khalifa and Barry Greene have developed an itty-bitty robot paired with a VR headset for abdominal surgeries that they hope to launch on the market in 2023.
"Its two arms and camera are designed to enter the patient's belly through an incision of less than an inch and operate according to instructions once inside. Shrinking a surgical robot is exceptionally difficult, but with this technology it is hoped to help doctors perform abdominal surgeries, starting with hernia operations, more quickly, safely and with fewer complications than existing alternatives," 'Forbes' can read.
The expected price for the Vicarious robot will be 1.2 million, almost half of the existing top-of-the-line robots, which could be a beneficial factor, as could the ease with which surgeons can learn how to use it.