Capstan Medical is a medical robotics startup developing a combined surgical robot and implant platform for structural heart disease. The company's focus is the minimally invasive, catheter-based replacement of the mitral and tricuspid valves, two of the most challenging targets in structural heart intervention. By integrating a compact robotic system with its own catheter-delivered valve implants, Capstan aims to give physicians the precision and control of robotics while avoiding the trauma of open-heart surgery.
The company is based in Santa Cruz, California, and is led by CEO Maggie Nixon. Its technical foundation draws on deep surgical robotics expertise, with leadership and a founding technical team connected to Intuitive Surgical, the company that pioneered robotic-assisted surgery. That heritage shapes Capstan's emphasis on robotic delivery accuracy, device design, and the clinical workflow required to make percutaneous valve replacement reliable and repeatable.
Capstan's technology addresses a significant unmet need: many patients with mitral and tricuspid valve disease are poor candidates for open surgery, and existing transcatheter options remain limited for these valves. The company's robotic-enabled approach is intended to improve the precision of implant positioning, potentially expanding the population of patients who can be treated with a minimally invasive procedure.
In January 2025 Capstan Medical raised an oversubscribed $110 million Series C led by Eclipse, with participation from existing investors Yu Galaxy and Intuitive Ventures and new investor Gideon Strategic Partners. The funding supports first-in-human trials of its mitral valve technology, planned pivotal trials, and continued development of its tricuspid system, with potential FDA submission later in the decade. The raise positioned Capstan as a notable 2025 healthcare robotics funding event.