Chinese surgical robotics developer Ronovo Surgical has successfully closed its Series D funding round at $67 million, with Johnson & Johnson's corporate venture capital arm leading the investment. The funding marks a significant milestone for the company as it advances commercialization of its flagship Carina robotic surgery platform.
Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation (JJDC) led the Series D round, with participation from Lilly Asia Ventures, INCE Capital, and Granite Asia. This represents Ronovo's second major funding round in 2025, following a Series C round led by Granite Asia earlier this year. The company has now raised over $100 million in 2025 alone, demonstrating strong investor confidence in its surgical robotics technology.
Strategic Partnership with Johnson & Johnson
Alongside the funding announcement, Ronovo signed a targeted collaboration agreement with Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd. The partnership aims to expand surgical technology choice and access in China by offering hospitals the advantages of Carina alongside complementary Johnson & Johnson MedTech surgical technologies.
Dr. John Ma, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Ronovo Surgical, commented: "We are grateful for the successful closing of our Series D round led by JJDC. Carina—flexible, adaptable, and affordable—embodies our commitment to democratizing access to surgical robotics on a global scale. We're excited about the strategic collaboration with Johnson & Johnson MedTech, which will further accelerate our commercial momentum in China while laying the foundation for international growth."
Regulatory Milestone and Platform Capabilities
Ronovo achieved a significant regulatory milestone when its Carina platform received approval from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in March 2025. The system became the first modular surgical robotic system in the country to obtain first-time filing covering four major surgical specialties: General Surgery, Gynecology, Urology, and Thoracic Surgery.
The Carina platform features a configurable modular architecture designed to address flexibility, adaptability, and affordability challenges posed by legacy robotic surgical systems. This innovative approach aims to make robot-assisted surgery a practical choice for minimally invasive patient care across all surgical specialties.
Global Expansion Strategy
Ronovo has initiated its global expansion beyond China, with regulatory submissions currently underway in Europe and South America. The platform has already received positive feedback from international key opinion leaders, validating Carina's differentiated value proposition and its ability to meet significant unmet needs across healthcare systems.
Founded in 2019, Ronovo is dedicated to addressing unmet healthcare needs and building a future where robot-assisted surgery becomes widely accessible. The company's funding history includes a Series B financing completed across three tranches from 2022 to 2024, securing at least $80 million through multiple rounds including a 300-million-yuan ($42 million) tranche in 2024 and a 200-million-yuan ($28 million) tranche in 2023.
