Domestic surgical robots: Initiate a race in county - level areas.
Recently, three companies in the field of embodied intelligent humanoid robots announced their financing on the same day. Looking back at the first half of the year, over 10 billion yuan in funds poured into this sector.
Different from humanoid robots, which are still in the early stages of development, there hasn't been much new news about financing in the surgical robot sector for quite some time.
Compared with the bustling activity in previous years, the surgical robot sector has now reached a crucial stage of commercialization. Investors focus on products and implementation capabilities. Under more practical considerations, domestic surgical robots have been forced to achieve stronger clinical breakthroughs.
In late July in Strasbourg, France, during the grand event of the Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS), the most prestigious organization in the global surgical robot field, Professor Liang Xiao from the Department of General Surgery at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (hereinafter referred to as "Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University"), who was invited to attend the conference, used a domestic surgical robot to successfully perform a robot-assisted ultra-long-distance left hepatectomy on a patient in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, in just 50 minutes.
Public information shows that this is the world's first intercontinental ultra-long-distance robot-assisted liver cancer resection surgery. Nearly 20,000 surgical experts, clinicians, researchers, industry pioneers, and regulatory officials from dozens of countries around the world witnessed this historic moment.
Domestic surgical robots have gradually shifted from following to leading in terms of technology, clinical application, and commercialization.
01
Technological Breakthroughs: The Right Time for Domestic Substitution
Surgical robots can be regarded as the "assisted driving system" in the operating room, capable of assisting doctors in performing precise and complex surgical operations according to pre-set programs.
Currently, surgical robots are mainly divided into two categories:
One type is the operation-based robot, such as the well-known "Da Vinci" surgical robot, which has independent control and operation systems connected by wires.
The other type is the positioning-based robot, such as orthopedic surgical robots and percutaneous puncture robots.
In 2006, the first Da Vinci robot was introduced into the Chinese market. It is reported that the first Da Vinci robot (the second generation) entered the Chinese market at a purchase price of over 20 million yuan, much higher than the international market price at that time (equivalent to about 12 million yuan), mainly due to technological monopoly and tariff barriers. By 2014, the single-unit price of the Da Vinci robot in the Chinese market was still much higher than the approximately 1.5 million US dollars in the US market.
At that time, domestic surgical robot projects were just starting. For example, Tianzhihang, founded in 2005, began exploring the research and development of orthopedic robots. Its core team participated in the National 863 Program. It wasn't until 2016 that it launched the first domestic orthopedic surgical robot, "Tianji," and obtained NMPA certification in the same year, becoming the fifth orthopedic robot company in the world to receive approval.
After several years of development and strong policy support, domestic surgical robots have started to accelerate.
Tianzhihang was listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board in 2020, becoming the "first stock in the surgical robot industry." Meanwhile, companies such as MicroPort Robotics and Bohui Weikang achieved breakthroughs in the fields of laparoscopy and neurosurgery. MicroPort's "Tumai" laparoscopic robot was approved in 2022, and Bohui Weikang's "Ruimi" neurosurgical robot completed its Series D financing in 2020, with a cumulative financing of over 560 million yuan.
In 2021, Weigao's "Miaoshou S" became the first domestic laparoscopic robot to be approved, breaking the monopoly of the Da Vinci robot. In 2023, MicroPort's "Honghu" hip and knee replacement robot was approved, becoming the first domestic orthopedic robot compatible with both total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). In 2024, Constellation Medical's Sentire laparoscopic robot was launched, marking that domestic laparoscopic technology has reached the international level.
What's even more exciting for the industry is that the policy level has also provided strong support. The "14th Five-Year Plan" for medical equipment clearly aims to tackle key problems in intelligent surgical robots. Shanghai, Beijing, and other places have included robot-assisted surgeries in the medical insurance system, reducing the patients' out-of-pocket payment ratio to less than 30%.
With the joint progress of technology and policy, domestic surgical robots have gradually achieved domestic substitution.
However, it should be noted that the imported giant, the Da Vinci robot, still has more stable technology and a larger market share. As of June this year, the Da Vinci robot remained at the top of the order list. However, domestic brands such as Jingfeng and MicroPort have started to explore the mid - to high - end market by leveraging their price advantages.
Take the most representative laparoscopic surgical robot as an example.
In the first half of the year, 25 units were successfully bid in this field, with a total amount of approximately 430 million yuan. The winning brands were mainly Da Vinci, Jingfeng, MicroPort Tumai, Constellation Medical, and Surui. Among them, Da Vinci won 16 bids, and the other companies shared the remaining 9 bids.
With the acceleration of the domestic substitution process, the surgical robot sector in China is gradually maturing.
Data from the National Medical Products Administration shows that between 2014 and 2020, only 10 domestic surgical robot products from 8 companies in China were approved, among which only 4 products from 3 companies were domestic. By the end of 2024, a total of 115 surgical robot products from 64 companies across the country had been approved, comprehensively covering sub - fields such as laparoscopic, orthopedic, neurosurgical, and puncture surgical robots. Among them, domestic brands accounted for 81.7% of the total approved products, reaching 94, while imported brands accounted for 18.3%, with a total of 21 products.
Nowadays, more and more companies are breaking foreign technological monopolies in fields such as orthopedics, laparoscopy, and neurosurgery. For example, in the orthopedic field, Tianzhihang's "Tianji II" can achieve real - time intraoperative position recognition with sub - millimeter accuracy and has been used in over 20,000 surgeries. In the laparoscopic field, Constellation Medical learned from the single - port technology of the Da Vinci robot and completed the first pure single - port urological surgery in Asia. Surui's "dual continuum mechanism" can achieve 6 + 1 degrees of freedom movement, breaking foreign patent barriers. In the neurosurgical field, Bohui Weikang's "Ruimi" robot completed its first overseas surgery in Kazakhstan in 2024 and has been used in over 8,000 surgeries, with a market share of 52.6%.
The rise of more domestic brands is accelerating the technological breakthroughs and commercialization process of domestic surgical robots.
02
Accelerating Penetration into Second - Tier Cities
Against the backdrop of domestic substitution, the prices of surgical robots have started to decline.
Taking domestic powerful robots as an example, compared with the Da Vinci surgical robot, which costs around 20 million yuan, the winning bid prices of domestic brands such as MicroPort MT - 1000 and Jingfeng MP1000, MP2000 are concentrated around 13 million yuan. According to the China Government Procurement Network, on November 26, 2024, the Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital purchased the endoscopic surgical instrument control system (surgical robot) Jingfeng MP2000 for 12.5 million yuan.
Domestic laparoscopic surgical robots are rapidly seizing market share through price advantages and policy support, and the domesticization rate is approaching 50%. Domestic manufacturers have also broken the "equipment + consumables lock - in" model of the Da Vinci robot, improving cost - effectiveness by extending the lifespan of consumables and reducing maintenance costs.
Against the backdrop of the gradually expanding cost advantage, domestic surgical robots are starting to penetrate into second - tier cities.
A typical example is the Tumai robot, which has a single - unit price of about 12 million yuan, while the Da Vinci Xi costs about 25 million yuan. The consumable prices of Tumai are 30% - 50% lower, making it more suitable for procurement by second - and third - tier hospitals in China.
Data from Yizhuang Shusheng shows that in 2024, the procurement of domestic laparoscopic surgical robots was still mainly concentrated in tertiary hospitals, accounting for 93.55%. However, it cannot be ignored that county - level hospitals are becoming more and more willing to purchase surgical robots.
The policy is also very supportive.
According to the "14th Five - Year Plan," 559 additional configuration certificates for abdominal endoscopic surgical systems (i.e., laparoscopic surgical robots) will be issued nationwide, covering tertiary hospitals in each province and some secondary hospitals. As of the end of 2024, over 130 configuration certificates have been issued, with more than 400 remaining to be released. It is expected that the approval process will continue to accelerate in 2025.
What's more worth mentioning is that the National Health Commission is promoting the penetration of equipment by simplifying the approval process and expanding the coverage of configuration certificates (such as to county - level hospitals). The national "14th Five - Year Plan" clearly states that the newly added configuration certificates for laparoscopic surgical robots will be tilted towards central and western regions and grass - roots medical institutions. In 2023, the "Action Plan for Promoting Large - Scale Equipment Upgrades" listed surgical robots as a key area for medical equipment upgrades, and 31 provinces have introduced supporting implementation plans.
According to incomplete statistics, since 2023, hospitals in more than 20 prefecture - level cities across the country, such as Dazu in Chongqing, Baoji in Shaanxi, Huanggang in Hubei, and Ganzhou in Jiangxi, have announced the introduction of laparoscopic surgical robots. Hospitals in prefecture - level cities in Anhui, Sichuan, etc. have introduced domestic equipment through centralized procurement, reducing the single - unit procurement cost by 30% - 50%. Domestic manufacturers such as Jingfeng Medical and MicroPort Medical have occupied 80% of the sinking market through differentiated competition.
County - level hospitals have become the main incremental market for laparoscopic surgical robots.
Data from Zhongcheng Shuke shows that from the cumulative installation volume of laparoscopic surgical robots in each province and city from 2021 to 2024, the installation and use of laparoscopic surgical robots are still concentrated in economically developed and medically advanced provinces and cities such as Beijing, Guangdong, and Zhejiang. The winning bid products are mainly the imported Intuitive Surgical's "Da Vinci" laparoscopic surgical robot IS4000.
However, judging from the distribution of the newly added installation volume in the first quarter of 2025, provinces such as Sichuan, Shandong, and Liaoning have gradually increased their acceptance of laparoscopic surgical robots, and the installation volume is also growing rapidly, mainly with domestically - manufactured surgical robots.
From January to May 2025, the winning bid volume of domestic surgical robots increased by 82.9% year - on - year. The newly added installation volume in county - level hospitals in the first quarter was equivalent to the total for the whole year of 2024. Taking laparoscopic robots as an example, domestic brands occupy 80% of the county - level market. Products such as MicroPort MT - 1000 (11.72 million yuan) and Jingfeng MP2000 (12.5 million yuan) have filled the gap in high - end equipment at the grass - roots level through a "graded pricing" strategy. Some prefecture - level hospitals, such as the First People's Hospital of Jingzhou, Hubei, have carried out a total of 220 robot - assisted surgeries, covering multiple departments such as urology and general surgery, ranking among the top in the province in terms of surgical volume.
In addition, with the policy promoting the penetration of equipment, the penetration rate of domestic robots in county - level hospitals is expected to increase from 6.5% in 2023 to 25% in 2030.
Currently, although the market share of imported brands is continuously shrinking, they still dominate the complex surgical field and the high - end market. Domestic brands, on the other hand, cover more hospitals and routine surgical procedures through high cost - effectiveness.
03
Intense Competition: Accelerating Technological and Commercialization Competition
After several years of development, the surgical robot industry is gradually maturing. The process of domestic surgical robots penetrating into second - and third - tier cities is accelerating. In 2025, there are characteristics such as an explosive growth in installation volume, increased policy support, and expanded clinical application scenarios. However, it also faces multiple challenges such as technological adaptability, uneven distribution of medical resources, and innovation in commercialization models.
First, the weak medical infrastructure at the grass - roots level
In terms of hardware adaptation, about 40% of county - level hospital operating rooms do not meet the standards for robot installation. For example, the space is insufficient, and the power load does not meet the requirements. This means that these county - level hospitals need to invest an additional 2 - 5 million yuan in renovation before they can install surgical robots.
In addition, doctors need to receive training to operate surgical robots.
Generally speaking, the training period for operating domestic robots takes 3 - 6 months. Doctors in second - and third - tier cities generally perform less than 50 surgeries per year, making it difficult to achieve technical proficiency. Currently, only 12 top - level tertiary hospitals in the country have been approved as national - level training centers. Grass - roots doctors need to pay 15,000 - 30,000 yuan out of their own pockets to obtain certification, and the financial subsidy coverage rate is less than 30%.
Second, the contradiction between medical insurance payment and patients' affordability
Liangyi Finance learned that the startup fee for robot - assisted surgeries is generally 10,000 - 40,000 yuan. After adding the cost of consumables, the total cost is 20,000 - 50,000 yuan higher than that of traditional surgeries. The patients' out - of - pocket payment ratio exceeds 70%. Currently, the medical insurance coverage is limited. Only 5 provinces and cities, such as Shanghai and Beijing, have included some surgical procedures in the medical insurance system, and the maximum reimbursement ratio is 50%. There is no national - level policy yet.
Third, the lack of innovation in commercialization models
Domestic robots use an open - source system, and the profit per unit of equipment is 60% lower than that of imported brands. Enterprises rely on the "equipment + service" model, but county - level hospitals are not very willing to pay on a per - use basis.
Fourth, fierce market competition
The Da Vinci robot has reduced its price to 18 million yuan through localization, and the response time of its consumables supply chain has been compressed from 15 days to 48 hours, squeezing the domestic mid - to high - end market. The competition among domestic surgical robots has also reached a white - hot stage. As of now, a large number of domestic enterprises are participating in the competition in each sub - market of surgical robots. For example, about 16 laparoscopic surgical robots, over 50 orthopedic surgical robots, and more than 10 puncture surgical robots have been approved in China...
The fierce market competition has also led to the problem of repeated innovation. Some surgical robots can only be used for simple lesions, and their clinical value has not yet achieved a breakthrough.
More intense market competition has brought about a new problem - price war.
Previously, the SR1000 laparoscopic surgical robot launched by Sizherui won a bid at a price of 5.38 million yuan. The winning bid prices of laparoscopic surgical robots from enterprises such as Jingfeng Medical and MicroPort Robotics were between 14 - 17 million yuan. The average price of the Da Vinci surgical robot, which has the largest market share, is about 23 million yuan.
In 2024, the Da Vinci surgical robot, with an average price of over 20 million yuan, had 58 newly installed units in China, still ranking first in the domestic laparoscopic surgical robot market sales list.
This means that this intense competition has not affected the international surgical robot giants. Instead, domestic brands are competing with each other.
Fifth, the decrease in financing amount
As leading surgical robot companies start to commercialize, the investment and financing process in the entire sector has started to slow down. In the past year, the number of completed financings in the surgical robot industry was less than 10. Investors are now paying more attention to the cash flow and commercial