Cobionix levanta US $ 3 milhões para criar plataforma de robótica médica autônoma

Cobionix Corp., a Canada-based medical robotics company, announced today that it has closed a $3 million funding round led by TitleTowntech, a venture capital firm backed by Microsoft Corp. and the Green Bay Packers.

Lions Investment and Dr. Paul McBeth, a leading medical robotics expert and investor, also participated in the round, alongside other undisclosed investors.

The company is developing a robotics platform called Codi, designed to provide diagnostic ultrasound procedures using AI-driven autonomy in remote locations. The platform itself is multifunctional and can support numerous different applications, but will begin with ultrasound capabilities.

The company describes Codi as a configurable, collaborative medical robotic platform that can perform a wide range of patient-facing tasks. Unlike traditional robotic systems, which require significant modifications for different clinical applications, CODI is designed to be rapidly adapted to different performance needs through simple tooling changes, and its software can be updated remotely.

In healthcare, ultrasound is a diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of the inside of the body. It is a painless procedure widely used after traumatic injuries, to visualize internal organs before procedures, during pregnancy, to evaluate blood vessels, to identify tumors, and for a variety of other purposes. It is also a safe, rapid test that helps prepare for or avoid other, more invasive options.

Having a robot that can assist a remote technician when no one is available to perform an ultrasound task can alleviate the need to transport a qualified individual to a hospital or clinic. It also means the patient doesn’t need to be transported to another location for the test, reducing potential stress, further injury, or unnecessary waiting.

Founded in 2021, Cobionix began by demonstrating an autonomous robot that could perform intramuscular vaccine injections. Since then, the company has expanded its robotics and engineering team to build a robotic platform that can augment a remote diagnostic technician and perform medical tasks “from the bench to the bedside.”

“With a growing need for highly skilled medical care in our country, especially in our rural communities, we need to leverage unique technological advancements to stretch our highly skilled workforce,” said Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Wisconsin-based Prepa Health. “Codi does just that, enabling ultrasound technologists to perform ultrasounds remotely with the same level of expertise and hands-on care as if the patient were right in front of them.”

Cobionix said the new funding will support pilot programs for Codi in August and help scale its commercial launch in the United States sometime in 2026. The company currently has research and pilot projects in the US, Canada, and the UK.

Image: Cobionix