Paris-based MedTech startup Robeauté has secured $28 million in seed funding to develop neurological microrobots for brain diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. Plural, Cherry Ventures, and Kindred Ventures led the funding round, including LocalGlobe, Think.Health, and existing investor APEX Ventures. Medical technology leader Brainlab also provided strategic investment.
The strategic partnership with Brainlab underscores Robeauté’s commitment to advancing neurology and reimagining neurosurgical approaches. This collaboration will support the company’s expansion into the US market, where it plans to secure FDA approval before pursuing European regulatory clearance.
Robeauté: redefining the dialogue with the brain through personal experience
Founded in 2017 by Bertrand Duplat and Joana Cartocci, Robeauté is transforming brain treatments. Duplat brings expertise from his robotics work at McGill University and the European Space Agency (ESA) and experience from his successful exit from 3D software company Virtools to Dassault Systèmes.
The inspiration for Robeauté emerged from personal tragedy. When Duplat’s mother was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, he witnessed firsthand the limitations of current neurosurgical techniques. This experience drove him to develop more advanced, less invasive treatments for neurological disorders.
Robeauté told TFN: “More than 3 billion people worldwide live with neurological conditions, which are the leading cause of illness and disability globally. Robeauté was created to develop solutions for diagnosing and treating conditions such as brain tumours, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.”
Bertrand Duplat, co-founder and CEO of Robeauté, explained: “Microrobots offer vast untapped potential in medicine. Traditional neurosurgery techniques are invasive, potentially fatal, and struggle to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Our microrobots will provide unprecedented brain access with personalised, precision medicine — transforming treatments and patient outcomes.”
To solve these challenges, Robeauté has developed rice-sized microrobots that can navigate the brain’s extracellular matrix in curved paths. These sophisticated devices can safely access multiple areas within the brain to deliver molecules, implant electrodes, and collect cellular samples and real-time data.
The innovative technology of Robeauté: the size of a grain of rice
Robeauté’s breakthrough lies in its rice-sized microrobots, which can navigate curved paths through the brain’s extracellular matrix — a major improvement over traditional straight-line approaches. As Robeauté explained: “Our micro-robot is minimally invasive and programmed to travel around the brain, rather than being limited to straight-line movement.”
These compact, modular devices can perform specific tasks based on pathology. They serve as versatile tools for molecular delivery, electrode implantation, and sensor data collection, advancing our understanding and treatment of neurological conditions.
During eight years of development, the team has secured over 50 patents and developed proprietary expertise. They’ve created an integrated system combining a tiny engine, propeller, steering, and tracking device, allowing surgeons to monitor the microrobot’s precise movements through the brain. Currently undergoing animal trials as a biopsy tool, this technology will evolve for treatment and real-time monitoring through partnerships with industry and research institutions.
Neurology now depends on innovative neurosurgical microrobots
The neurosurgery market is expanding and is projected to exceed $5 billion by 2034, driven by rising neurological cases and technological progress. “Robeauté represents next-generation technology that will enhance neurological diagnosis and treatment, revolutionising brain access and understanding through more targeted and effective neurosurgery,” the company stated.
Filip Dames, Founding Partner at Cherry Ventures, added: “The challenge posed by neurodegenerative diseases is immense, touching countless lives across the globe. What Robeauté is building truly embodies the spirit of frontier technology.”
Ian Hogarth, partner at Plural, concluded: “Gathering patient brain data will teach us more about often incurable diseases, enabling more personalised treatment. I strongly believe that Robeauté’s miniature robots could transform brain treatments, just as the endoscope has transformed gastrointestinal medicine for a part of our body that is vital to our quality of life.”