Surui Announces Completion of Series B+ Strategic Financing Led by Medtronic

On November 2, 2021, Beijing Shurui Technology Co., Ltd., an emerging domestic surgical robotics company, announced the completion of its Series B+ strategic financing, exclusively invested by Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology.

Professor Xu Kai, founder of SHURUI and a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, stated that this round of financing will be used to conduct multi-department clinical trials both domestically and internationally, deepen patent layouts, carry out type testing and clinical work targeting the European and American markets, and prepare for U.S. FDA registration and EU CE certification. In addition, SHURUI hopes that in the near future, driven by Medtronic’s strong market presence, it can comprehensively promote the widespread application of the SHURUI laparoscopic surgical robot in urology and gynecologic surgery, leading a more advanced trend in single-port procedures, thereby advancing the market promotion and practical implementation of advanced domestic surgical robot technologies with independent intellectual property rights.

In the field of laparoscopic surgical robots, Intuitive Surgical Inc. of the United States stands as an insurmountable monument. In the 1990s, Intuitive Surgical leveraged patented technologies from SRI International to develop the da Vinci series of laparoscopic surgical robots, achieving tremendous commercial success. After years of aggressive market expansion, Intuitive Surgical has fortified its position with robust patent barriers, making it exceedingly difficult for latecomers to break through. For many years, no competing products in the market have matched its performance, with few even coming close. However, in just four years, SHURUI has overcome these technical barriers by independently developing a product whose comprehensive performance rivals that of the world’s leading systems, poised to break this “seal” that has remained unchallenged for two decades.

Over the past four years, SHURUI has positioned itself in the high-end market, focusing on maximally minimally invasive procedures and targeting third-generation single-port/multi-port universal minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical robot systems. The company is committed to fully independent research and development, manufacturing, and sales, building core intellectual property rights with independent ownership and mastering key technologies across the entire value chain. To date, SHURUI has filed more than 340 patent applications worldwide, securing 16 authorized patents in overseas jurisdictions such as the United States and 120 authorized patents in China, establishing itself as an authentic brand of intelligent manufacturing in China. It is precisely this rapid emergence that has attracted the attention of several leading medical device companies, ultimately leading to a partnership with Medtronic.

SHURUI Laparoscopic Surgical Robot, built upon the innovative “dual-continuum mechanism,” features highly flexible and precise deformable surgical arms, delivering comprehensive performance on par with leading international single-port surgical robots. The SHURUI Laparoscopic Surgical Robot is applicable across multiple specialties—including urology, gynecologic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and general surgery—providing minimally invasive solutions for a broad range of cross-specialty indications. In ongoing clinical trials, the system has demonstrated outstanding performance: single-port procedures have further reduced patient trauma, ensured smooth operative workflows, and delivered precise movements, with all patients experiencing favorable postoperative recovery and expressing high satisfaction.

At the beginning of this year, SHURUI completed Asia’s first robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and partial nephrectomy for kidney cancer using a pure single-port system. Coincidentally, in June this year, the Hugo™ RAS system—developed by Medtronic over a decade with an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars—also performed its first robot-assisted prostatectomy in Santiago, Chile. SHURUI’s profound understanding of endoscopic surgical robots, mastery of advanced technologies, and remarkable efficiency in driving original innovation were key factors that impressed Medtronic. As a result, Medtronic will leverage its leading energy-based devices and digital health technology platforms, along with its global sales distribution network, to help elevate SHURUI’s business to new heights.

As a pioneer in third-generation endoscopic surgical robots, SHURUI’s successful development has benefited from the favorable environment for intelligent manufacturing in China in the new era. SHURUI will continue to enhance its capabilities and, in the research and development of next-generation, multi-procedure, platform-based surgical robots, achieve organic integration with major strategic partners in fields such as energy-based surgical tools, digital healthcare, and artificial intelligence. This collaboration aims to significantly reduce the manufacturing cost of surgical robots and the medical cost per high-end robotic surgery, promising to deliver a transformative experience in advanced minimally invasive medical services to people worldwide and showcasing the new face of original Chinese intelligent manufacturing in the new era.