Mendaera :: Compact, Handheld Robotic Systems That Combine Real-Time Ultrasound Imaging With Robotic Assistance

Mendaera is a medical robotics company founded in 2020 and headquartered in San Mateo, California. The company is developing a new category of compact, handheld robotic systems that combine real-time ultrasound imaging with robotic assistance to improve the accuracy and consistency of needle-based procedures.

These everyday interventions — such as biopsies, vascular access, percutaneous access for kidney stone removal, regional anesthesia, and transplant biopsies — are performed hundreds of millions of times each year but traditionally depend heavily on the operator’s experience and hand-eye coordination.

Mendaera’s flagship product is the Focalist™ handheld robotic system. The device clips directly onto a standard handheld ultrasound probe, weighing about as much as a smartphone. It provides robotic guidance for needle alignment and advancement while displaying real-time targeting feedback on a touchscreen interface. Key features include automatic needle depth tracking, visual cues (such as a green light when the needle trajectory is correct), and motion scaling that helps clinicians achieve precise placement regardless of their experience level.

Preclinical and early clinical data have shown that Focalist improves first-stick success rates for both expert and novice users compared to freehand techniques. The system is designed to lower the learning curve while increasing consistency and safety across a wide range of clinical settings, including hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and eventually more decentralized care locations.

In 2025, Mendaera received FDA 510(k) clearance for the Focalist system. The company has begun a limited commercial launch, initially focused on urology procedures such as percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Broader commercialization across additional specialties is planned for 2026.

The company has raised approximately $97millioninfunding,includinga$73 million Series B round in 2024 led by Threshold Ventures, with participation from Lux Capital, PFM Health Sciences, Founders Fund, and robotic surgery pioneer Frederic Moll. Mendaera was co-founded by Josh DeFonzo (CEO, previously at Auris Health and Johnson & Johnson MedTech) and Jason Wilson (CTO). The company also acquired Avail Medsystems to incorporate remote telepresence capabilities, which may enable future expert-to-novice guidance models.

Rather than focusing on complex robotic surgery platforms, Mendaera targets foundational “gateway” procedures that underpin much of modern medicine. By making these high-volume interventions more reliable and accessible, the company aims to expand who can confidently perform them, potentially improving patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency at scale.