Medtronic, a global leader in healthcare technology, has announced a strategic partnership with Hong Kong based startup Cornerstone Robotics. The approximately $700 million investment includes rights to distribute Cornerstone Robotics' Sentire™ surgical system in select markets outside the US where the system is market approved.
Medtronic will distribute Sentire alongside its Hugo™ robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system. Together with Medtronic's connected surgical ecosystem, the two complementary platforms will expand access to robotic-assisted surgery and offer surgeons and health systems more choice and flexible solutions designed to meet their diverse needs and reach more patients globally.
With global adoption of robotic-assisted surgery still in the single digits, the opportunity to expand access to advanced surgical care for patients, physicians and health systems around the world is significant. Expanded choice and access are critical drivers of the future of robotic assisted surgery. Through this partnership, Medtronic and Cornerstone Robotics are building a multi-port portfolio anchored by the Hugo RAS system and expanded by Sentire, giving customers meaningful flexibility across clinical settings, procedural needs, and economic models.
The partnership builds on the momentum of Medtronic's Hugo RAS system, which is now being used in more than 35 countries across six continents, including the United States, where it received FDA clearance within the last year. Procedure growth for the Hugo RAS system is currently more than two times the growth rate of the robotic surgery market, and total procedures are expected to exceed 50,000 globally by the end of Medtronic's fiscal year.
Medtronic will continue to innovate the capabilities of the Hugo RAS system, including ongoing software upgrades, real-time artificial intelligence across its digital ecosystem, integrated stapling, expanded instrumentation, and clinical indications. The modular, multi-quadrant platform is designed for a broad range of soft-tissue surgical procedures and combines wristed instruments, 3D visualisation, and Touch Surgery™ ecosystem with dedicated support for robotics program optimisation, service, and training.
The Sentire system's architecture and immersive console with dual-console capability offer a familiar configuration suited to varying surgeon preferences and clinical needs. Developed entirely in-house by Cornerstone Robotics, Sentire has completed multi-specialty clinical trials and received CE Mark in May 2026 for use in minimally invasive general, gynecologic, thoracic, and urologic surgical procedures in addition to its market approval in China and Singapore.
