Galen Robotics, which is commercializing a surgical robot developed at a Johns Hopkins research lab, has announced the first close of a Series A round, after raising $15 million from investors led by California’s Ambix Healthcare Partners. It simultaneously announced a second close for its Series A worth an additional $5 million.
“We will be the first robotic company to launch using an on-demand business model,” said Galen Robotics CEO Bruce Lichorowic, after the Baltimore startup swiftly pivoted from trying to sell its robots to a so-called “digital-surgery-as-a-service” model. The switch makes Galen’s robotic services more affordable for hospitals that have financially struggled since the coronavirus pandemic amid a sharp drop in elective surgeries.