Mayo Clinic and Northwell Health are investing in a robotics startup that the health systems' leaders say can "radically change" the industry.
The two health systems took part in a $36 million series B-1 funding round for Clarapath, a medical robotics company that helps process tissue in pathology labs.
"We identified Clarapath seven years ago as a company with a bold vision to radically change laboratory medicine and are committed to continued support of their progressive journey which will transform medical diagnostics," said Rich Mulry, CEO of Northwell Holdings, the venture capital arm of the New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based health system, in a July 24 statement.
Clarapath, which has secured $75 million overall, said it plans to use the funding to develop healthcare robotics, machine vision and digital automation tools for hospital labs. Ochsner Ventures, an arm of the New Orleans-based health system, and CU Healthcare Innovation Fund, which includes two Colorado health systems, also financially backed the startup.
"Together, we are building the foundation for a 'lab of the future' that incorporates end-to-end automation, robotics, and AI to the patient tissue lifecycle," stated Joaquín García, MD, chair of anatomic and digital pathology at Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic.