Dive Brief:
- Intuitive Surgical’s venture capital arm has launched a second investment fund with $150 million in new capital.
- The Intuitive Ventures fund will support startups focused on improving healthcare access and coordination, developing precision diagnostics and interventions, and integrating digital technology, the firm said Monday.
- The new fund follows the launch of Intuitive’s first venture capital fund three years ago and brings the firm’s total assets under management to $250 million.
Dive Insight:
The robotic surgery leader is among a number of large medtech companies to establish a venture capital operation dedicated to supporting a portfolio of early-stage companies. GE HealthCare, Johnson & Johnson and Boston Scientific have also launched venture funds.
The venture has since invested in more than 10 startups, supported by Intuitive Surgical’s network and corporate oversight. Those companies include Capstan Medical, Endogenex, Flywheel, KelaHealth, MedCrypt, Neocis Optellum and Surge Therapeutics.
“Fund II deepens Intuitive’s commitment to the broad ecosystem of innovators working to improve patient outcomes,” Intuitive Surgical CEO Gary Guthart said in a statement.
Intuitive Ventures Fund II will be led by Murielle Thinard McLane, who joined the firm earlier this year. Thinard McLane also takes over as managing partner and head of Intuitive Ventures from Oliver Keown, who has left the role to be CEO of a startup.
She previously was CEO of molecular diagnostics company Ontera and a co-founder of Nooma Bio, a life science tools platform. Before that, Thinard McLane was an executive in residence at GE HealthCare Ventures, where she helped launch Verana Health, a clinical database.