Minimally Invasive Surgical Robot Secures FDA Approval and Olympus Deal... Public R&D Bears Fruit

Endorobotics Signs Exclusive Global Distribution Agreement After FDA Approval
Commercializes Technology Based on 10 Years of Public R&D
Government Support Lays Foundation for Global Expansion

A domestic medical robotics company has successfully commercialized publicly funded research achievements, first by obtaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) using core technologies accumulated through government research and development (R&D), and then by signing a global exclusive distribution agreement with Olympus, the world's leading endoscope manufacturer.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Commercialization Promotion Agency for R&D Outcomes (COMPA) announced on the 23rd that it has selected the medical robotics company Endorobotics as an outstanding business in the commercialization of public research outcomes.

Endorobotics Robot (Robopera). Provided by Endorobotics

Endorobotics has developed 'ROBOPERA', a minimally invasive surgical robot that removes lesions by equipping robotic arms onto endoscopes without incisions. The product received FDA 510(k) clearance in September last year, and, for the first time among domestic companies, acquired the FDA product code (NAY) granted to robotic control surgical systems. Subsequently, at the end of last year, Endorobotics secured a KRW 32.5 billion Series C investment. In May this year, it signed an exclusive global distribution agreement with Olympus, the global endoscope company.

The core technology was commercialized by transferring public research outcomes accumulated since 2012 by CEO Kim Byunggwon and Professor Hong Daehee's research team at Korea University, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea. Even after its establishment, the company continued to advance and validate its technology with government support, and this year, it was selected for a public research outcome demonstration pilot project.

Kim Byunggwon, CEO of Endorobotics, said, "The fact that this technology was developed with government support served as a basis of trust that convinced investors and global companies. Uninterrupted support from market discovery through to subsequent R&D and demonstration was of great help in accelerating commercialization."

Kim Byungguk, President of the Commercialization Promotion Agency for R&D Outcomes, stated, "We will expand support that links demand discovery, commercialization, and demonstration so that public R&D achievements can bear fruit in the market, serving as a catalyst for the spread of research outcomes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.