Panda Surgical

Advancing handheld robotics platform for minimally-invasive spinal and brain surgery.

close up of surgical tools, with operating room in the background

Panda Surgical is developing a next-generation handheld robotics platform for minimally-invasive spinal and brain surgery.

Founded in 2022, the platform offers neurosurgeons enhanced dexterity and control in confined spaces. This allows them to reach previously unattainable areas and perform complex operations - such as removing tumours and abnormalities deep within the brain and spine - safely and precisely.

The Panda Surgical journey so far:

2022: Founded at UCL by team from Neurosurgery and Surgical Robotics
2023: £1 million seed investment from PrimaNova Technologies, £45,000 grant from NIHR
2025: £1 million Series A raised, led by Oxford Investment Consultants
2026: Achieved ISO 13485:2016 certification.

Founder Manios speaks about his experience

Team

Dr Manios Dimitrakakis

Founder and CEO

Manios obtained a PhD at UCL Computer Science on the development of handheld robotic devices for minimally invasive neurosurgery. Since 2023, he has been leading the effort at Panda Surgical as CEO.

Dr Weng Sie Wong

Senior Business Manager

Dr Wong brings extensive experience of all aspects of university technology transfer activities from strategic IP management to licence negotiations and spinout formation.

As a Senior Business Manager focusing on the commercialisation of medical technologies, healthcare engineering, medical imaging and AI-enabled healthcare innovations arising from UCL research, she has been involved in the formation of multiple spinouts and acted as a director on various boards.

Prior to joining UCL Ventures, Dr Wong was a senior technology transfer manager at Oxford University’s TTO, Oxford University Innovation, working on a diverse range of both life and physical science projects over a 10-year period.

Weng holds an MBA from Edinburgh University and a PhD in pharmacology from UCL.