Amsterdam-based Surgical Reality, a medical imaging startup, has secured fresh funding from LUMO Labs and Graduate Entrepreneur to advance its surgical imaging technology. The funding amount, however, remains undisclosed.
The company’s plug-and-play software quickly converts pulmonary CT scans into fully labelled 3D lung models within 10 minutes, enhancing surgical planning and precision.
Filip Cuypers, Principal at Graduate Entrepreneur, says, “We are excited to partner with Chris, Mike, Amir and the team at Surgical Reality to bring their cutting-edge technology to market. Scientific evidence shows that advanced pre-operative and intra-operative visualisation enhances surgical planning for lung cancer procedures, leading to better patient outcomes.”
“With a rapidly growing 3D visualisation market, we believe Surgical Reality is uniquely positioned to become a leader in the space and expand into other medical fields, revolutionising surgical care and improving the lives of many.”
Graduate Entrepreneur, a VC fund founded in 2021 by alumni of TU Delft, Erasmus MC, and Erasmus University Rotterdam, manages €58M across pre-seed and seed funds. It helps startups scale through funding and a network of 180+ entrepreneurs, offering mentorship, matchmaking, and founder programmes.
Capital utilisation
Surgical Reality will use the funds to secure regulatory approval in Europe, expand commercialisation, and enhance the software with new features to benefit surgeons, operating room staff, and patients.
Chris Hordijk, founder & CEO of Surgical Reality, says, “At Surgical Reality we’re proud and delighted to be backed by leading Dutch investors Graduate Entrepreneur and LUMO Labs.”
“Graduate Entrepreneur provides access to a very relevant academic healthcare network, while LUMO Labs brings thorough experience and expertise in taking the company to the next stage and commercialisation, as well as connections to other health startups.”
Personalised surgical imaging
Traditional surgical imaging relies on 2D CT scans, requiring surgeons to mentally reconstruct a 3D map of the patient’s anatomy, which can lead to complications due to anatomical variations.
Surgical Reality’s software generates a detailed, patient-specific 3D model in minutes. According to the company, this feature is unique worldwide. Surgeons can interact with and even deform the anatomy during surgery to simulate each step.
The technology is currently available in the Netherlands, Germany, and the US and has supported over 350 surgeries so far. Research from Erasmus MC indicates that it improves surgical planning in over 50 per cent of cases compared to using CT scans alone.
Surgical Reality collaborated with medical specialists, alongside experts in computer vision, 3D, AI, and quality engineering, to develop next-generation medical imaging technology. The company is working towards European medical device approval to ensure top medical safety and data security standards.
Brief about LUMO Labs
LUMO Labs invests in impact-driven software and smart hardware startups through its multi-stage LUMO Fund II, which includes a two-year venture builder program. It supports startups aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on AI, blockchain, IoT, robotics, drones, and VR/AR. LUMO Labs promotes data ownership, transparency, and technological traceability.
Speaking about the investment in Surgical Reality, Sven Bakkes, founding partner at LUMO Labs, says, “We are impressed with Surgical Reailty’s systematic surgeon- and patient-centred development processes that have resulted in a digital medical device that addresses a clear unmet clinical need.”
“Their CT-based 3D models allow surgeons to comprehend the individual patient’s anatomy better, which permits optimised surgical planning and first-time-right procedures. We also see the educational value of the technology and how it contributes to educating and engaging OR staff before and during surgery.”
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