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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.