From September 10 to 13, 2026, Concentric Surgical highlighted its independently developed Sentire® robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery system at the Annual Meeting of the Surgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association in Beijing. The event, themed around precision surgery, intelligent minimally invasive technologies, and surgical innovation, gathered leading surgeons and experts nationwide. At the exhibition, Concentric Surgical offered hands-on trials of the Sentire® system, demonstrating its high-definition 3D vision, responsive master-slave control, multi-degree-of-freedom micro-instruments, and ergonomic cockpit—all tailored to complex general surgery procedures such as gastrectomy, colorectal resection, thyroidectomy, and hepatobiliary-pancreatic operations. The system has already entered routine clinical use in institutions like the Chinese University of Hong Kong Medical Centre and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, earning consistent praise from surgeons for its stability, precision, and surgeon-centric design. Concentric Surgical reaffirmed its commitment to advancing high-quality, accessible robotic surgery through continuous clinical-driven innovation.

Global medical technology leader Medtronic has entered into a strategic partnership with Cornerstone Robotics, investing approximately $700 million to secure exclusive distribution rights for the Sentire® laparoscopic surgical robot in approved markets outside the U.S. Unlike typical equity investments, this deal focuses on commercial collaboration, enabling Medtronic to complement its Hugo RAS system with Sentire’s integrated platform. Sentire®, fully自主研发 with 99% core component self-reliance, has received NMPA (2024), CE, and Singapore HSA (2026) approvals across urology, general surgery, gynecology, and thoracic surgery. The partnership marks a pivotal shift in global medtech dynamics, showcasing Chinese innovation as a strategic asset for multinational commercialization.

In summer 2026, Hong Kong’s medical AI sector attracted growing investor attention. Brainsmart Technology completed an angel round exceeding $10 million, led by Bayland Capital with participation from BlueRun Ventures, to fund electrode R&D and a GMP-compliant production line in Shenzhen. AilsynBio secured seed funding from the Gobi–HKU Fund to accelerate AI-driven drug discovery and has partnered with Dong-E-E-Jiao. Psyrene Technology also raised several million yuan in seed funding, focusing on home-based management of chronic and mental disorders. These deals highlight rising competition among mainland Chinese investors for university spinouts founded by doctoral researchers in Hong Kong. Startups from HKUST and HKU are also raising capital across areas including embodied intelligence, reinforcing Hong Kong’s emergence as a new hub for medical AI entrepreneurship.

On September 6, 2026, at the 2026 World Urology Academic Conference in Beijing, Kangsi Medical announced that its Sentire® laparoscopic surgical robot has surpassed 200 clinical procedures, marked by a live demonstration of a complex robot-assisted prostatectomy performed by Professor Xing Nianzeng. The milestone underscores strong clinical validation and trust in the domestically developed system. Concurrently, Beijing Shijitan Hospital and Kangsi Medical formalized a strategic partnership to advance integrated innovation across clinical care, R&D, talent development, and technology translation. Founder and CEO Professor Ou Guowei was appointed Guest Professor at Capital Medical University’s School of Oncology, reinforcing the company's commitment to med-tech convergence and full-stack self-reliance to enhance accessibility and quality in robotic surgery.

During the week of August 31 to September 6, 2026, key developments in the medical device sector included major funding rounds (e.g., Korseal Medical’s RMB 400M Series C), strategic investments (Medtronic’s $700M investment in Cornerstone Robotics), regulatory milestones (NMPA approval of two mNGS IVD kits and China’s first uniform degradable embolic microspheres), and innovation pathway advancements (11 devices entering national innovative review). Notable events included Medtec China 2026 in Shanghai, the announcement of a dedicated medical robotics zone at CMEF Autumn 2026, and the passage of China’s first foundational Medical Security Law. Regulatory bodies issued new guidance on brain-computer interfaces and paused imports of certain foreign devices, while multiple provinces implemented high-value consumables centralized procurement results.

Medtronic delivered outstanding Q1 fiscal 2027 results with revenue of $9.76 billion, up 13.7% year-over-year, and net income of $1.47 billion, surging 41.4%. All major business segments posted double-digit growth, led by Cardiovascular at $3.93 billion (+19.5%), with its Cardiac Ablation Solutions (CAS) unit soaring 88% globally and 139% in the U.S. On the same day, Medtronic announced two strategic investments totaling $780 million: a $700 million investment in China-based Cornerstone Robotics for exclusive distribution rights to its Sentire® surgical robot outside the U.S., and an $80 million investment in Israel’s Pi-Cardia—developer of the FDA-approved ShortCut leaflet modification technology—for global commercialization rights and an option to acquire the company for up to $210 million.

On September 1, Medtronic announced a strategic partnership with China-based surgical robotics company Cornerstone Robotics, investing approximately $700 million for exclusive distribution rights to its Sentire® laparoscopic robotic system outside the U.S. Sentire, already approved in China, the EU, and Singapore, covers urology, general surgery, gynecology, and thoracic procedures—complementing Medtronic’s Hugo RAS system and accelerating its global multi-port robotic portfolio. The move underscores Medtronic’s strategy of binding high-potential Chinese innovators into its global commercial ecosystem through capital and co-distribution, rather than full acquisition.

Key developments in the pharmaceutical sector include Medtronic’s strategic $700 million investment in Cornerstone Robotics for global distribution of its Sentire surgical robot, and Akeso Inc.’s announcement that the HARMONi-2 Phase III trial of ivonescimab (AK112), a first-in-class PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, met its key secondary endpoint of overall survival (OS) in an interim analysis for first-line treatment of PD-L1-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Ivonescimab demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful OS benefit compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy, following earlier achievement of its primary PFS endpoint with a median PFS of 11.14 vs. 5.82 months (HR=0.51).

Global medical technology leader Medtronic has announced a strategic partnership with Chinese surgical robotics firm Cornerstone Robotics, investing approximately $700 million and securing distribution rights for the Sentire® robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery system outside the U.S. The Sentire® system, fully developed and manufactured in-house by Cornerstone, features 600° wrist articulation, a 27L master console workspace, and an immersive glasses-free 3D visualization system with 10x magnification. Already approved by China’s NMPA in 2024 and later by the EU CE and Singapore HSA in May 2026 for use in urology, general surgery, gynecology, and thoracic procedures, Sentire® complements Medtronic’s own Hugo™ RAS platform. This collaboration reflects growing recognition by multinational medtech giants of China’s innovation capabilities and supply chain strengths, following similar deals involving Johnson & Johnson and Cordis with domestic innovators.

Pum Medical's PADN-HF-PH randomized controlled trial, demonstrating a 51% reduction in clinical worsening risk for patients with pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease (PH-LHD), was simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at ESC 2026 Hot Line. This marks the first time an Asian-originated cardiovascular device innovation has been featured in NEJM. Separately, Medtronic announced a strategic $700 million investment in Cornerstone Robotics, gaining distribution rights for its Sentire surgical robot outside the U.S., positioning Medtronic as the only company offering two distinct surgical robotics platforms globally.