NZVC

Andromeda Surgical

Andromeda Surgical builds autonomous surgical robots, starting with endourology, using a software-led, human-in-the-loop system that gives surgeons GPS-like spatial navigation through anatomy.

Category
Bio and Healthcare
Fund
NZVC I
Website
www.andromedasurgical.com
On TechMates
3 episodes
Nick Damiano founded Andromeda Surgical and leads it as CEO.
Nick Damiano founded Andromeda Surgical and leads it as CEO.

What Andromeda Surgical does

Andromeda Surgical

Andromeda Surgical's first application is robotic-assisted holmium laser enucleation of the prostate, a standard treatment for enlarged prostate, and the company completed the world's first robotic HoLEP procedure through a tablet interface.

The secret

Most of the value in surgical robotics sits in the software, so the robot itself can stay simple and cheap. Andromeda's Beacon platform runs AI models that act as a second pair of hands while the surgeon stays in the loop, which is how the first robotic HoLEP was performed through a tablet.

Why NZVC invested in Andromeda Surgical

Andromeda Surgical in pictures

NZVC invested in Andromeda Surgical from NZVC Fund I. We file the company under Bio and Healthcare on the portfolio wall.

We backed Andromeda because most surgical robots are heavy, costly hardware, while Andromeda puts the value in software and keeps the robot simple, which lowers cost and speeds adoption. The founders combine medical device and autonomous vehicle experience, and they moved from concept to clinical use in well under two years. Bringing expert-level surgery to more hospitals and more procedures is a very large opportunity, and Andromeda's approach scales in a way traditional robotics cannot.

Watch: Robotic HoLEP, the Beacon platform from Andromeda Surgical

Andromeda Surgical in the press

Andromeda Surgical on TechMates

TechMates episode: Inside the Startups Bringing AI to the Physical World
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Inside the Startups Bringing AI to the Physical World

David Inggs, Nick Damiano & Harrison Crowe-Maxwell · 20 April 2026

You hear three founders explain what robots can and cannot do once they leave the demo reel and enter the real world. David Inggs breaks down why folding laundry is harder than building cars, Nick Damiano of Andromeda Surgical argues that autonomous surgery is an easier problem than self-driving, and Harrison Crowe-Maxwell walks through sending robots into pressurized water pipes to stop leaks before cities run dry.

A joint episode, alongside Puralink.

Andromeda Surgical on TechMates

TechMates episode: Beyond Startup Hype: 5 Founders on Real Difficulties
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Beyond Startup Hype: 5 Founders on Real Difficulties

Shaun Quincey, CEO of Simfuni; Liam Kampshof, Founder of Bovonic; Nick Damiano, Co-Founder of Andromeda Surgical; Steven Zinsli, Founder of Extraordinary & Anna Henwood, CEO of Stickybeak · 30 October 2025

You hear five founders in twelve minutes on the parts of startups that do not make the highlight reels. Shaun Quincey on finding the real buyer, Liam Kampshof on cowshed prototypes, Steven Zinsli on stopping what is wrong, Nick Damiano on deciding to found, and Anna Henwood on loving uncertainty.

A joint episode, alongside Simfuni, Bovonic, Extraordinary and Stickybeak.

Andromeda Surgical on TechMates

TechMates episode: Building the Tesla of Surgical Robots
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Building the Tesla of Surgical Robots

Nick Damiano, Co-Founder of Andromeda Surgical · 22 September 2025

You hear a two-time YC founder explain how a surgical robot can learn the way a self-driving car does. Nick Damiano covers starting with prostate surgery, what the FDA actually wants, and why New Zealand is where Andromeda runs its first cases.

  • Andromeda: software-first surgical robots with iPad control.
  • HoLEP and Google Maps for the prostate to de-risk learning.
  • FDA pragmatism, New Zealand fast-track launches, and global access.

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