Endorobo

Endorobo is a South Korean medical device company, founded in April 2019 by Daehie Hong, that is focused on developing robotic systems for therapeutic endoscopy. The company's leadership includes CEO Byung Gon Kim and is supported by a team of co-founders with backgrounds in mechanical engineering and gastroenterology from Korea University. The founding vision, articulated by Daehie Hong, a robotics professor of over 30 years, was to translate extensive research into practical applications that offer tangible benefits to patients. The company's business model is centered on manufacturing and selling its own inventory of specialized medical devices to healthcare providers.

Operating in the field of non-invasive gastrointestinal procedures, Endorobo targets a market that performs advanced therapeutic interventions like Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD), Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR), and Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG). The company's core offering is the RoSE (Robotic-assisted Surgical Endoscopy) Platform, which enhances standard flexible endoscopes with robotic capabilities. This system allows for the attachment of robotic arms to existing endoscopes, transforming them into surgical instruments capable of precise tissue dissection, suturing, and lesion removal. This approach mitigates the need for entirely new surgical robot systems, potentially lowering market entry barriers. A key technological feature is its advanced cable control system, which enables precise manipulation of instruments via cables over 2 meters long that can bend more than 720 degrees, a necessity for navigating the complex gastrointestinal tract.

Endorobo has developed a suite of products compatible with its platform. These include the ROBOPERA, a flexible surgical robot; TraCloser, a traction device; RollingStitch, a suturing device with a 180-degree switching mechanism for versatile closure; and the EndoCubot, an animal-free simulator for training purposes. The EndoCubot addresses the limitations of traditional animal-based training by providing a safer, cost-effective, and repeatable practice environment with real-time feedback. The company has a history of consistent development and funding, securing seed investment in May 2019, Pre-A funding in June 2020, a Series A round in August 2021, and a Series B round in August 2023.

Keywords: therapeutic endoscopy, medical robotics, non-invasive surgery, gastroenterology devices, endoscopic submucosal dissection, robotic surgery platform, endoscopic suturing, medical device manufacturing, surgical robotics, gastrointestinal procedures