The new funding will be used to continue developing the technology, starting human trials in 2026 and setting up US operations ahead of FDA approval and commercialisation.
Robeauté, a French medtech company, said neurological disorders are difficult to diagnose in the early stages when intervention can have the most impact. Modern neurosurgery relies on relatively crude methods, with stiff tools pushed through the brain in a straight line, impeding multi-site access and precise targeting. Pharmaceutical treatments struggle to make an impact due to the complexities of crossing the blood-brain barrier to reach the site of interest.
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The size of a grain of rice, Robeauté’s microrobots can move along curved routes through the extracellular matrix to safely reach multiple sites of interest and carry out whichever task is required.
According to the company, the modular medical devices can embark on specific missions depending on the pathology, making them suited delivering molecules, implanting an electrode and collecting cell or live-data samples through sensors to transform the understanding and ability to treat neuropathologies.
Company founder Bertrand Duplat spent 30 years in robotics, including at McGill University in Montreal and the European Space Agency (ESA), specialising in developing robots in extreme environments.
The team has established over 50 patents and unique knowledge from creating and assembling into the carrier an engine, propeller, steering and tracking device that enables surgeons to monitor the microrobot’s movement through the brain.
The technology is currently in animal studies as a biopsy tool that will lay the groundwork for it to be used for treatment and real-time monitoring, which will be achieved through partnerships with industrial partners and research labs.
“There is unexplored potential for microrobots in medicine,” Duplat said in a statement. “Current neurosurgery techniques are invasive and can be fatal, whilst it is difficult for treatment to pass the blood-brain barrier and get to its intended target. We’re creating microrobots that will bring unparalleled access to the brain with personalised, precision medicine that can transform treatments and patient outcomes. This new funding from some of Europe’s leading investors will take us to the next level as part of our mission to empower neurosurgeons or neurospecialists with the tools to make a difference.”
Other investors included LocalGlobe, Think.Health and previous investors APEX Ventures participated, along with strategic investment from Brainlab.
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