Montpellier, France, June 22, 2021 -- AcuSurgical, a French startup developing novel robots and procedures for the retina and ophthalmology surgery markets, announces the appointment of Michael BROWNELL as Chairman of the Board.
Michael Brownell is a serial entrepreneur in early-stage companies developing new technology, products, and markets. He has served as VP of Product Development for Intralase, Global Head/VP/Director of surgical equipment for AMO (Advanced/Abbott Medical Optics), CEO of Gobiquity, CTO of PowerLase, and other executive positions, Michael received an MS in Physics, Lasers, and Optics from San Diego State University.
Michael brings to AcuSurgical 30 years of international experience with innovative businesses and new product development in ophthalmology, to help build a great company that is fast to market with high value solutions, and to establish the company as one of the robotic surgery leaders in ophthalmology.
AcuSurgical CEO Christoph Spuhler says : “Michael’s experience is an excellent fit to help us with our mission to transform ophthalmic surgery and will be a great addition to the board. We’re excited to have him join the team.”
Investors say : Valerie Calenda, Managing Partner at Merieux Equity Partners: «Michael is well complementing the team, bringing a wealth of experience in the global ophthalmology industry and particularly in the development of innovative products.» Celia Hart, General Partner at Supernova Invest: «I am confident his strategic insights will be instrumental to the further development and growth of AcuSurgical»
About AcuSurgical - www.acusurgical.com
Founded in 2020, AcuSurgical is a surgical robotics company based in Montpellier (France). AcuSurgical recently raised €5.75 Million in series A financing, led by Merieux Equity Partners and Supernova Invest, to advance its robotic ocular microsurgery platform.
AcuSurgical's mission is to enable top-class treatment to the 300+ million patients suffering from retinal disease worldwide.
Retinal disease has a huge impact on the quality of life of mostly elderly patients, with 1 in 3 europeans over 70 affected by these debilitating conditions including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and macular holes. Worldwide, currently 1.6 million retinal surgeries are performed each year, with a yearly growth rate of 7%. This currently represents only a small percentage of actual cases, with the majority of patients, especially in emerging economies, getting inadequate treatment or often no treatment at all. The cutting-edge robotics platform from AcuSurgical aims to change this, bringing a new surgical paradigm to vitreo-retinal surgery based on precision robotics and will offer a new opportunity for sub retinal injections by pushing the limits of accuracy and reproducibility.
