Cornerstone Robotics Receives Around $700 Million Strategic Investment From Medtronic to Jointly Expand Surgical Robot Global Market

Cornerstone Robotics, an innovative surgical robotics company, recently announced a strategic partnership with Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology. Under the agreement, Medtronic will make a strategic investment of approximately $700 million in Cornerstone Robotics and gain rights to distribute Cornerstone's Sentire® laparoscopic surgical robot in select approved markets outside the United States. Gaorong Ventures co-led Cornerstone's angel round in 2019 and has continued to participate in subsequent funding rounds.

Shared Vision

Expanding Global Access to Robot-Assisted Surgery

Currently, robot-assisted surgery has single-digit penetration globally, indicating substantial room for growth in the availability of advanced surgical care. More patients, surgeons, and healthcare institutions stand to benefit from these technologies. Closing this significant clinical gap requires both sustained technological innovation and robust market scalability. By combining its technical strengths with Medtronic's well-established global commercial infrastructure, Cornerstone aims to drive broader adoption and application of Sentire worldwide, bringing advanced minimally invasive surgical capabilities to more physicians and patients.

Strategic Synergy

Accelerating Scale for Advanced Technology

Since its founding, Cornerstone Robotics has adhered to a fully self-developed, vertically integrated strategy, achieving complete in-house mastery of core technologies spanning mechanical structures, electronic systems, control software, complex algorithms, and visual imaging. The company maintains high degrees of autonomy in product integration, quality control, and supply chain resilience, providing solid assurance for the stable performance and precision of the Sentire laparoscopic surgical robot in complex clinical environments. Sentire received approval from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in 2024. In May 2026, it gained CE marking in the European Union and HSA certification in Singapore, with both certifications covering minimally invasive procedures in urology, general surgery, gynecology, and thoracic surgery.

This strategic investment and commercial partnership from Medtronic further demonstrates industry confidence in Cornerstone's independent innovation capabilities, product competitiveness, and long-term growth potential. It will also help Sentire expand into new markets, broaden clinical applications, and accelerate Cornerstone's global commercialization — marking significant recognition by international healthcare companies of Chinese enterprises' scientific research strength, capacity for independent innovation, and global commercial potential.

Guowei Ou, Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Robotics, said: "This partnership with Medtronic is an important step toward expanding access to robot-assisted surgery and enabling more surgeons and patients to benefit comprehensively from this technology. There remains a significant gap between the accessibility of robot-assisted surgical technology and growing clinical demand worldwide. Cornerstone has consistently pursued full-stack independent R&D and vertical integration, continuously advancing the development and innovation of core surgical robotics technologies. This collaboration will leverage the strengths of both parties to jointly drive progress in surgical robotics and deliver higher-quality solutions to physicians and patients globally."

Matt Anderson, Senior Vice President and President of Surgical Business Operations at Medtronic, said: "This investment and distribution agreement will further enhance Medtronic's ability to expand access to minimally invasive surgery around the world. We are excited to bring more choice to the surgical robotics space, with Sentire serving as a strong complement to our Hugo platform."

Beilin Le, Managing Director at Gaorong Ventures, said: "When we first met Sam, Jerry, and Alexis in 2018, we were drawn to the team's craftsmanship. We've been fortunate to walk alongside such an exceptional team ever since. Chinese medical technology companies are now bringing innovative technologies to the world stage, creating value for global clinical practice. This partnership with Medtronic underscores the global industry's high regard for Cornerstone's technical capabilities and product value. This is not merely a milestone, but a new starting point. Gaorong Ventures has always believed in the global competitiveness of China's innovative medical technologies. We look forward to seeing Cornerstone step onto an even broader global stage, enabling innovation originating from China to benefit more doctors and patients around the world."

This partnership represents a significant milestone for both companies, marking their joint commitment to advancing shared mission of making robot-assisted surgery more accessible worldwide.