SurgRobotics Completes Series C1 Financing of Several Hundred Million RMB Led by Shanghai Biomedical Fund

VCBeat has learned that Beijing Surgerii Technology Co., Ltd. (“Surgerii”) recently announced the completion of its C1 financing round, amounting to hundreds of millions of RMB. The round was led by Shanghai Healthcare Capital (SHC), with co-investment from Source Star Capital. Existing investors, including Medtronic, Shunwei Capital, SDIC Zhaoshang, and Tianfeng Capital, continued to provide strong support. China Renaissance served as the exclusive financial advisor for this transaction.

Professor Xu Kai, founder of ShuRui and a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, stated that the funds from this round of financing will be primarily used for the continuous R&D and iterative upgrades of ShuRui’s products; expansion of production facility construction; advancement of clinical trials in general surgery, thoracic surgery, and overseas markets; strengthened patent layout in both Chinese and international markets; establishment of training and animal testing centers; and development of sales channels in domestic and global markets. ShuRui has completed multiple rounds of financing to date, garnering favor from numerous leading investors.

As a leading enterprise in the third generation of laparoscopic surgical robots, Surgerii has been committed to high-tech innovation since its establishment, integrating innovation into its core values and quality into its DNA. Over the years, Surgerii has deeply cultivated the field of laparoscopic surgical robots, establishing a full-chain key technology system and comprehensive independent intellectual property rights. Supported by national and local governments such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Surgerii has broken the long-standing monopoly of foreign technologies and developed single-port laparoscopic surgical robots that match international top standards in terms of performance and operation. In 2021 and 2022, it completed several Asia-first robotic surgeries under pure single-port conditions in urology, gynecology, and general surgery, successfully launching clinical applications in these three major departments. Its unique "deformable dual continuum technology" has obtained numerous patents both domestically and internationally and won the "Outstanding Technological Innovation Achievement Award" from the China Scientists Forum. Surgerii has also been recognized as a "Pioneer Demonstration Unit for Technological Innovation."

To date, Shurui has filed 467 intellectual property rights globally (220 granted, 247 pending), including 128 Chinese patents, 26 overseas patents, 236 global patent applications pending grant, and 77 global registered trademarks and trademark applications. Its intellectual property portfolio spans China, the United States, Europe, Canada, Japan, and South Korea. As the company continues to grow, its globally distributed intellectual property holdings are expected to increase steadily.

Notably, at the 2021 Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week, Professor Xu Kai, the company’s founder, presented to the Premier on behalf of numerous spin-off companies resulting from Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s special reforms in “technology transfer and commercialization.” Looking ahead, Surgerii will promote the broader application of surgical robots to meet patients’ growing demand for high-end, precision medical care. The company aims to export its proprietary technologies to European and American markets, striving to become a technological pioneer and market leader in the field of third-generation surgical robots, thereby contributing to the continuous advancement of global public health.

From open surgery to multi-port laparoscopic surgery, then to single-port laparoscopy, and even natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), patient trauma has been gradually reduced, while surgical procedures have become increasingly challenging. Therefore, leveraging robotic technology to enhance the intuitiveness and precision of surgical operations has become an inevitable trend. Compared with traditional surgical tools, robot-assisted surgery not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances the quality and effectiveness of treatment outcomes. On one hand, smaller incisions, reduced intraoperative blood loss, faster postoperative recovery, and better prevention of post-surgical complications significantly improve patients’ quality of life after surgery. On the other hand, surgeons can perform procedures more safely, precisely, and efficiently.

In traditional rigid long-shaft laparoscopic surgery, the lack of wrist-like joints at the instrument tips leads to significant operational hindrances due to the "chopstick effect." This makes single-port surgery, although highly minimally invasive and beneficial for patients, clinically challenging to perform. The Shurui laparoscopic surgical robot enables the insertion of all surgical instruments through a single skin incision. Its 3D high-definition snake-like dual-bend articulated endoscope significantly magnifies the surgical field, providing clear visualization of intra-abdominal lesions and surrounding structures. Equipped with snake-like robotic arms possessing full independent intellectual property rights, the system first establishes an operational triangle inside the patient’s body, thereby eliminating the chopstick effect. Under remote control by the surgeon, the instruments move dexterously with eye-hand alignment, minimal latency, and tremor filtration, ensuring stable, precise, and safe manipulation. This approach further reduces patient trauma without compromising therapeutic efficacy.

Professor Xu Kai, Founder of Shurui and Shanghai Jiao Tong University“The strong support from SHC and both new and existing shareholders will undoubtedly provide greater momentum to Surgerii, which is on the fast track in the laparoscopic surgical robotics industry. With robust backing from leading investors, Surgerii will take the lead in vigorously promoting broader clinical adoption of single-port laparoscopic robotic surgery—a cutting-edge minimally invasive achievement—and spare no effort in advancing industry standards and facilitating the accessibility of high-end medical care to benefit the Chinese population.”

Dr. Liang Weibin, Partner at SHCIt stated: “Endoscopic surgical robots are innovative, multidisciplinary medical devices with the highest level of technological barriers, representing the future direction of surgical development. Shurui possesses core independent intellectual property rights globally. The ‘dual continuum structure,’ independently developed by Professor Xu Kai for single-port endoscopic robots, features snake-like robotic arm technology that is leading worldwide, with performance expected to match or even surpass that of the da Vinci system. We highly recognize the company’s profound expertise and patent portfolio in related technical fields, and we believe that the company will continue to expand its technology platform, establishing a comprehensive product layout encompassing single-port, multi-port, and natural orifice approaches, thereby building an integrated surgical robot platform to benefit more patients through more precise and minimally invasive surgical innovations.”

Zhuo Xingyu, Partner at Source Star Capital“The clinical value of laparoscopic surgical robots is widely recognized, and the technological barriers are high. By adopting a differentiated technological approach, Shurui has established a complementary market position distinct from domestic and international ‘Da Vinci’ systems, offering broad market prospects. We are honored to contribute to Shurui’s growth and look forward to witnessing its boundless future.”

Mr. Xie Yijing, Managing Director and Head of the Healthcare & Life Sciences Group at China Renaissancestated: “We are honored to have assisted Surui in completing this round of financing. Surui is a global leader in laparoscopic surgical robots and ecological surgical instruments. Leveraging its independently developed dual-continuum structure, it pioneered highly flexible serpentine surgical robotic arms and配套 miniaturized surgical instruments, creating an integrated surgical robot platform suitable for single-port, multi-port, and natural orifice procedures. We believe that the laparoscopic surgical robot sector will become the next major growth frontier, and we look forward to Surui, as a frontrunner in this field, continuing to make greater breakthrough contributions to the independent innovation of surgical robotics in China.”

SHC, a municipal-level industrial fund with a total target assets under management of RMB 50 billion, was approved by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and established by Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings) Co., Ltd. Leveraging Shanghai’s comprehensive advantages in developing the biopharmaceutical sector and relying on industrial resources, the fund aims to build an innovative investment platform for the biopharmaceutical field that is “based in Shanghai and Hong Kong, linked with the Yangtze River Delta, and oriented toward the global market.” By combining financial capital with industrial resources and integrating domestic and overseas operations, the fund will focus on key areas aligned with Shanghai’s biopharmaceutical industry development strategy, including high-end biological products, innovative chemical drugs and formulations, high-end medical devices and diagnostics, and innovative business models in the healthcare sector.

V Star Capital was spun off from GGV Capital’s RMB fund in 2016. Currently, V Star Capital manages five RMB-denominated funds and two USD-denominated funds, with investment focus primarily on healthcare, high-end manufacturing, consumption upgrades, and TMT (Technology, Media, and Telecom). Its investment stages cover early-stage and expansion-stage investments. With a unique investment strategy and deep professional expertise, V Star Capital is committed to empowering outstanding founders and entrepreneurs, striving to cultivate future industry-leading star enterprises.