Montréal-based medical technology startup Scopia Surgical has closed $2.65 million CAD in pre-seed funding to develop its AI-powered navigation software for robotic surgery.
The news: Scopia is building a platform designed to help surgeons better navigate minimally invasive soft-tissue robotic surgeries in real time. The company announced its pre-seed financing on Tuesday. It was co-led by Anges Québec and life sciences-focused, Québec City-based Linearis Ventures. Investissement Québec’s Fonds Impulsion, Toronto-based physician angel group HaloHealth, Intelerad co-founder Richard Rubin, and MyHealth Centre co-founder Suresh Madan supported the convertible note round, which closed last month and brings the startup’s total funding to over $3 million. Scopia plans to use the money to accelerate product development and grow its seven-person team with hires in clinical and engineering roles. It will also pursue the first clinical validation of its software as it looks to execute its first feasibility studies and pilots at the CHUM and the Jewish General Hospital in Montréal, and Charleston’s Medical University of South Carolina.
From the source: “We strongly believe we’re transitioning to a world where autonomous robotic surgery will be a game-changer to deliver and democratize standardized high-quality surgery,” Scopia co-founder and CEO Gabriel Rivest told BetaKit over email. “The industry has built the body and the arms (the robot); now it’s time to build the brain.”
The context: While surgeons typically plan procedures using detailed CT and MRI scans, that anatomical insight is no longer visible once surgery begins, Scopia claims on its website. According to Rivest, misidentification and localization of patient anatomy is “one of the leading causes of complications in minimally invasive soft-tissue surgery.” The startup’s patented software aims to bridge this gap for gynecological, urologic, and colorectal procedures. Founded in 2024 by Rivest and CTO Sébastien Delorme, Scopia uses spatial intelligence and digital twins to help clinicians visualize patient anatomy both pre-operatively and alongside the live surgical view, “acting like a GPS.” The company’s investors were attracted to its potential to improve operating outcomes while remaining compatible with existing systems. Scopia hopes to obtain 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration as a Class 2 medical product within the next 24 months.
Final thought: While robotic surgeries have been around for decades, recent advances in AI and computer vision are transforming the process and accelerating the possibilities. Having worked in surgical robotics for a decade and secured support from folks who have previously built and scaled life sciences companies like Rubin and Madan, Rivest believes he and Scopia are well-positioned to help surgeons take advantage of these advancements.
Feature image courtesy Scopia Surgical.