SS Innovations International Inc

Company Background

Overview

We design, develop, manufacture and market surgical robotic systems including the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System and its associated instruments and accessories. Our vision is to create new, technologically advanced systems that will surpass existing surgical robotic systems to provide cost effective surgical solutions to benefit greater numbers of patients around the world.

Robotic surgical procedures have achieved acceptance globally over the past two decades because they generally offer a faster recovery period, result in less post-operative pain and discomfort, provide for greater precision, reduce the risk of infection, result in minimal blood loss and permit the use of smaller incisions. However, the global market penetration for surgical robotic systems has in large part been limited to developed countries due to the high costs and steep learning curve for the existing systems. The SSi Mantra was specifically developed from the ground up to address these issues by providing an advanced, affordable and accessible surgical robotic system.

We commenced development of the SSi Mantra in 2014, received regulatory approval for its sale and use in India and commercially launched sales in August 2022. The SSi Mantra has been clinically validated for safety, efficacy and effectiveness for its intended use to perform robotically assisted surgeries in more than fifty different types of surgical procedures in India without any device related adverse events. As of December 31, 2023, we have installed 23 systems, of which twenty-one are located in India, one in Dubai and one at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland for clinical training and ongoing research and development. The SSi Mantra system installed in the Minimally Invasive Lab at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland is being used for training and research purposes only and not for use in any clinical procedures on human patients and therefore did not require any regulatory approvals. Following approval by the Indian regulatory body (CDSCO), the systems commercially installed in India have been used to perform more than seven-hundred surgical procedures, including cardiovascular, thoracic, head and neck, gynecological, urological, cancer and general surgeries. The SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System has additionally been granted regulatory approval in Guatemala. However, as of the date of this report, no systems have been installed in Guatemala. We have initiated the process to obtain regulatory approvals in the United States from the Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) and in the European Union. We have filed a pre-submission application with the FDA requesting feedback on the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System. We received an acknowledgement of this pre-submission filing (#Q240119) from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) on January 17, 2024, and we have a feedback meeting scheduled with the FDA on April 2, 2024. We have also been in discussions with an EU Notified body for the CE certification. There can be no assurance as to when we will secure such regulatory approvals, if at all. Our ISO 13485 (quality management system) approval, CDSCO approval for the manufacture, sale and distribution of our products and our Indian export license allow us to market our products in fifty non-FDA and non-EU countries without further regulatory approvals. An additional seventy-nine countries require only minimal registration.

Corporate Information

The Company was incorporated in the state of Florida on February 4, 2015, under the name “Avra Surgical Microsystems, Inc.,” and changed its name to “Avra Medical Robotics, Inc.” on November 5, 2015.

From inception through April 13, 2023, we were engaged in developing a fully autonomous medical robotic system using proprietary software which integrated Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning, or Machine Learning. Our research and development efforts were based in Orlando, Florida, where we established a research partnership with the University of Central Florida.

On April 14, 2023, we consummated the acquisition of CardioVentures, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“CardioVentures”), pursuant to a Merger Agreement dated November 7, 2022 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), CardioVentures and Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, who, through his holding company, owned a controlling interest in CardioVentures.

CardioVentures, through a subsidiary, owned a controlling interest in Sudhir Srivastava Innovations Pvt. Ltd., an Indian private limited company, which developed and manufactures and markets the SSi Mantra, which is designed to provide an advanced, yet cost-effective surgical robotic system which make the benefits of robotic surgery available to a larger part of the global population.

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at Closing, Merger Sub merged with and into CardioVentures (the “CardioVentures Merger”). In the CardioVentures Merger, holders of the outstanding shares of common stock of CardioVentures (including certain parties who provided interim convertible financing during the pendency of the Merger Agreement, were issued 135,808,884 shares of SSi common stock, representing approximately 95% of issued and outstanding shares of SSi common stock post-merger, with the existing shareholders of SSi holding approximately 6,544,344 shares of SSi common stock representing approximately 5% of issued and outstanding shares of SSi common stock post-merger.

In addition, the holder of CardioVentures common stock also received shares of newly designated Series A Non-Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred Shares”), which affords the holder 51% of the total voting power of the Company. As a result of the foregoing, a “Change in Control” of the Company occurred, with Dr. Sudhir Srivastava becoming the Company’s principal and controlling stockholder. The Series A Preferred Shares are automatically redeemed by the Company for nominal consideration at such time as the holder owns less than 50% of the shares issued to it in connection with the CardioVentures Merger.

Contemporaneously with the Closing on April 14, 2023, the Company changed its name to “SS Innovations International, Inc.,” effected a one-for-ten reverse stock split and increased its authorized common stock to 250,000,000 shares.

In connection with the consummation of the CardioVentures Merger, Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, through his holding company, assigned all patents, trademarks and other intellectual property used in the development, commercialization, manufacturing and sale of its medical and surgical robotic systems and products to one or more wholly owned subsidiaries of SSi.

Our principal executive offices are located at 404-405, 3 rd Floor, iLabs Info Technology Centre, Udyog Vihar, Phase III, Gurugram, Haryana 122016, India. Our telephone number is +91 73375 53469. Our corporate website is https://ssinnovations.com. Information appearing on our corporate website is not part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference herein. We have included our website address as an inactive textual reference only.

Products

The SSi Mantra

The SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System is designed to enable surgeons to perform a wide range of surgical procedures including cardiovascular, thoracic, head and neck, gynecological, urological, cancer and general surgeries. The SSi Mantra has been clinically validated for safety, efficacy and effectiveness for its intended use to perform robotically assisted surgeries in more than fifty different types of surgical procedures in India without any device related adverse events. As of the date of this Annual Report, surgeons have performed approximately 800 surgical procedures in India in a wide array of fields using the SSi Mantra, including many complex surgeries. The SSi Mantra offers the entire operating room staff three-dimensional, high definition (“3DHD”) vision, and gives the surgeon a magnified view up to ten times magnification. Our system uses specialized instrumentation, including a miniaturized surgical camera (endoscope) and wristed instruments (for example, scissors, scalpels and forceps) that are designed to help with precise dissection and reconstruction of anatomical structures within the body.

The SSi Mantra is comprised of the following components:

Surgeon Console. The SSi Mantra allows surgeons to operate while comfortably seated at an ergonomic open-faced console. Surgeons use a special pair of passive 3D glasses to view a 3DHD image of the surgical field on a 32-inch 3D 4K resolution monitor with up to ten (10) times magnification, resulting in significantly enhanced vision for the surgeon. The surgeon also has a second large 23-inch 2D touch monitor for system controls and DICOM applications. The surgeon’s fingers grasp extremely precise ergonomic hand controls, with the surgeon’s hands naturally positioned relative to his or her eyes, thereby minimizing strain during the surgeon’s movements. Using electronic hardware, software, algorithms and mechanics, our technology translates the surgeon’s hand movements into precise and corresponding real-time movements of the SSi Mantra instruments positioned inside the patient. When using the SSi Mantra, the surgeon is able to sit in an ergonomic position and can see both the specific positioning of his or her hands and feet, thereby reducing the learning curve and maintaining comfortable ergonomics during the surgical procedure. In addition, the SSi Mantra’s robotic arms hold the camera and instruments steady, offering greater stability for surgeons and operating room staff.

Patient-Side Robotic Arm Carts. The robotic arm carts are modular in design with robotic arms mounted on individual carts, each with a maximum height of 7.2 feet. The modular design offers the flexibility of cart and robotic arm positioning to provide better placement in relation to the procedure and avoid collisions. Further, there is the option of using three, four or five robotic arm configurations based on the users’ preference and specific surgical procedures. Each robotic arm cart includes stability via parking locks, freedom of patient docking and advanced touch-screen controls. Each robotic arm cart has a built-in auto-leveling feature which allows each individual arm cart to be perfectly horizontally level with respect to uneven floor surfaces that may be present in an operating room.

Vision Cart. The vision cart provides an additional 32-inch 3D 4K resolution monitor, identical to the surgeon’s console, for the operating room staff. While wearing the 3D glasses, the entire operating team can view what the surgeon sees with the same depth perception. This ability also helps in reducing the entire team’s learning curve and translates into a safer and more efficient exchange of instruments and introduction of supplies required in surgery. The vision cart also houses the control system for the articulating endoscope and camera and pre-operative guidance software. It has uninterruptible power supply battery backup, universal safety features and incorporates an Omni 3DHD multimedia recording and streaming platform.

Tele-Proctoring/Tele-Mentoring Capabilities. The SSi Mantra has a built-in live streaming platform, which provides for remote proctoring, thereby resulting in efficient and cost-effective teaching and training capabilities.

Instruments and Accessories

We offer a comprehensive suite of stapling, energy and core instrumentation for our surgical systems, under the brand name of SSi Mudra.

Mudra Technology. The technology employed in our instruments is designed to transform the surgeon’s natural hand movements outside of the body into corresponding controlled movements inside the patient’s body, just as would be available to the surgeon in open surgery. With our technology, a surgeon can also use “motion scaling,” a feature that translates, for example, a three-centimeter hand movement outside the patient’s body into a one-centimeter instrument movement in the surgical field inside the patient’s body. Motion scaling is designed to allow precision and control for delicate tasks. In addition, the advanced software technology of the robotic system filters and eliminates any tremors that may be present in a surgeon’s hands.

Mudra Instruments. Most of the more than 30 instruments that we manufacture incorporate Mudra technology with wristed joints for natural dexterity and tips customized for various surgical procedures. Mudra instruments are offered in an 8mm diameter. Various Mudra instrument tips include forceps, scissors, electrocautery tools, scalpels and other surgical tools that are familiar to the surgeon from open surgery and conventional minimally invasive surgery (“MIS”). We have also developed and made available a variety of cardiac surgery specific instruments. A variety of instruments may be selected and used interchangeably during surgery. All instruments are sterilizable at the hospital, and all are reusable for a defined number of procedures. A programmed memory chip inside each instrument performs several functions that help determine how the SSi Mantra and instruments work together. In addition, the chip generally will not allow the instrument to be used for more than the prescribed number of procedures to help ensure that its performance meets specifications during each procedure.

Accessory Products. We sell various accessory products, which are used in conjunction with the SSi Mantra as surgical procedures are performed. Accessory products include sterile drapes used to help ensure a sterile field during surgery, vision products—such as replacement 3D stereo endoscopes, cannulas for the instruments and camera and special seals to prevent leakage of carbon dioxide gas used during a procedure.

Instruments under Development

We also have a number of additional sophisticated instruments currently under development. These include:

NADI – Automated Coronary Anastomotic Connector. This instrument is a micro stapling device intended to join two arteries together in cardiac bypass procedures. We intend to offer the instrument in both robotic surgery and manual versions. The manual version is for use by cardiac surgeons who do not have a robotic system and can be utilized in an open or minimally invasive procedure.

SSi Multi-Fire Clip Applier. The SSi Multi-Fire Clip Applier is a cartridge-based clip applicator being developed to be utilized for the hemostasis of blood vessels. Use of such a device is a requirement during many surgical procedures. Currently, the clip applicators traditionally used in surgical procedures require withdrawal of the instrument after each clip is placed resulting in a time-consuming process. By providing a cartridge with multiple clips we believe the SSi Multi-Fire Clip Applier will allow for greater efficiency and time savings during surgical procedures.

SSi Ultrasonic Surgical Device. The harmonic scalpel is a surgical instrument being designed to simultaneously cut and cauterize tissue. Ultrasonic energy is used in the harmonic scalpel where ultrasonic energy is converted to mechanical energy at the active blade.

SSi Maya - XR Pre-Operative Simulator. SSi Maya is a Mixed Reality (XR) software application being crafted to transform the educational paradigm for surgeons and surgical assistants. SSi Maya is specifically being designed to train and educate users on the intricacies of the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System. We intend to offer immersive and innovative pre-operative training.

SSi Holographic Anatomy. This product is an advanced augmented reality tool being developed for the purpose of visualizing anatomies, providing comprehensive patient education, and offering guidance for surgical procedures. This application will potentially present patients with three-dimensional DICOM data, enabling them to better understand and engage with their own health information.

SSi Yog - Tele Proctor. SSi Yog introduces a pioneering solution for tele-proctoring. It is designed for remote surgical proctoring. This software seamlessly integrates mixed reality with the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System, offering healthcare professionals and surgeons unprecedented access to real-time guidance over long distances. Notably, the application is platform-agnostic and caters to both open, laparoscopic and robotic surgeries making it versatile enough to address diverse surgical scenarios.

SSi Chitrasa - Advanced DICOM Viewer. SSi Chitrasa is being designed to empower robotic surgeons with unparalleled DICOM visualization capabilities. It includes a state-of-the-art AI enabled application viewer which is seamlessly integrated with the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System to provide surgeons with comprehensive tools to enhance their surgical confidence and precision in the operating room.

SSi Mixed Reality Headset- The SSi Mixed Reality headset is a medical-grade device that we hope will revolutionize intraoperative experiences by seamlessly interfacing with the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System. This device is being designed to offer surgeons an immersive 3D endoscopic feed visualization, while interactable augmented objects provide real-time patient vitals and data for enhanced surgical precision. The potentially seamless collaboration between these technologies creates a comprehensive surgical platform, setting a new standard for intraoperative medical advancements and pushing the boundaries of surgical excellence. Some salient features include:

Services

We have a network of field service engineers in India and maintain relationships with various distributors around the globe. This infrastructure of service and support specialists offers a full complement of services for our customers, including installation, repair, maintenance, 24/7 technical support and proactive system health monitoring.

Our comprehensive support and program assistance helps ensure customers and care teams maximize program performance and protect their investment.

Readiness and Maintenance Support. Readiness support is operational support to ensure smooth onboarding and adoption of new systems and technology. Maintenance support helps to maximize operational efficiency and reduce unplanned equipment downtime. It includes services care plans, support teams, monitoring, software upgrades and updates, as well as a customer portal. The service plan portfolio offers flexible service plans to ensure reliability of the systems and instruments and help optimize the robotics program. The support team of expert field service, remote technical support and customer care agents resolve and prevent any technology issues that could inhibit optimal utilization. Software upgrades and updates enable the latest product innovations, enhancements and reliability improvements.

Our Strategy

Our initial strategy is to focus on underserved markets, such as India, where market penetration for surgical robotic systems has in large part been limited because of the high costs of and steep learning curve for existing systems. After validating the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System in these markets, which we believe we are currently accomplishing, we intend to leverage its advanced technology, significantly lower cost (approximately one third of the cost of existing systems) and ease of training to move into other markets, such as the United States and Europe. Key elements of this strategy include:

Focus on underserved markets. India, where our operations are based and where we have commercially launched the SSi Mantra, has a population of approximately 1.4 billion people and 70,000 hospitals. However, only about 0.1% of global robotic surgical procedures. As a comparison, there are only approximately 6,120 hospitals in the U.S. By offering our advanced, cost-effective SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System, we believe that we can significantly penetrate the Indian market, as well as other underserved markets in Asia, Africa, Europe, Central and South America and elsewhere.

Focus on key institutions. Our marketing efforts are focused on large multi-specialty care hospitals where a majority of complex surgical procedures are performed. Following the initial placement at a given hospital, we intend to expand the number of physicians who use the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System and work with the hospitals and their surgeons to promote patient education as to the benefits and cost effectiveness of our system. We believe that these efforts will not only result in both increased usage and additional sales of instruments and systems at hospitals that purchase the system, but also increased demand from competing hospitals, surgeons and other physicians.

Focus on Leading Surgeons to Drive Rapid and Broad Adoption. We place significant emphasis on marketing the SSi Mantra to leading surgeons who are considered to be the “thought leaders” in their institutions and fields. In this regard, we have established both an Indian Medical Advisory Board and an International Advisory Board consisting of leading surgeons in their respective fields. We believe that the participation of these surgeons in our product development and their use of the SSi Mantra will generate confidence in many other surgeons to utilize the system for all types of surgical procedures.

Continued Development and Marketing. We intend to continue developing and enhancing our technology and products and to communicate the benefits and advantages of the SSi Mantra System (lower cost, ease of training and improved patient outcomes) in India and the other markets we plan to enter.

Evaluation, Familiarization and Training Agreements with Major Medical Facilities. We have and intend to continue entering into agreements with major medical facilities to install the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System for evaluation, familiarization and training purposes. As of the date of this Annual Report, we had entered into such agreements with approximately four hospital networks in India and with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Clinical Applications

The SSi Mantra has been clinically validated for safety, efficacy and effectiveness for its intended use to perform robotically assisted surgeries in more than fifty different types of surgical procedures in India without any device related adverse events. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have installed 25 systems in India, which have been used to perform close to eight hundred surgical procedures, including cardiovascular, thoracic, head and neck, gynecological, urological, cancer and general surgeries. We maintain productive collaborations with leading surgeons to explore and develop new techniques and applications for robotic-assisted surgery with the SSi Mantra. We primarily focus our development efforts on those procedures in which we believe our products bring the highest patient value, surgeon value and hospital value. Representative surgical applications are described below.

Cardiovascular Surgery

Internal Mammary Artery Dissection. In a coronary artery bypass graft procedure used in cardiac surgery, a blocked coronary artery is bypassed with a graft. When available, an artery from the chest called the internal mammary artery is dissected from its natural position and grafted into place to perform the bypass. Because the internal mammary artery is located inferior to the anterior surface of the chest, dissection of the vessel is challenging using existing surgical instruments through the three- to five-inch incision commonly used in a non-robotic coronary artery bypass graft procedure. Our products have multiple joints that emulate the surgeon’s shoulders and elbows, allowing exact positioning of the instruments inside the patient’s chest. In addition, our Mudra instrument joints is designed to permit the surgeon to reach behind the tissues for easier dissection of the internal mammary artery. Thus, we believe that the internal mammary artery can be dissected with greater ease and precision using the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System.

Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (TECAB). Coronary artery bypass graft surgery demands that the surgeon delicately dissect and precisely suture very small structures, which are less than two millimeters in diameter, under significant magnification. These procedures are difficult when performed in open surgery. They are even more difficult when performed using a limited incision approach and can be challenging to perform when the heart is beating. As a result, this procedure is typically done as open surgery by stopping the heart and using a heart/lung bypass machine. The technology employed by the SSi Mantra is designed to allow surgeons to perform scaled instrument movements that can be even more precise than the movements used in open surgery, thus enabling precise suturing of single and multiple coronary vessels on a stopped or beating heart.

Mitral and Aortic Valve Repair/Replacement. Valve repair and replacement surgeries are challenging even when using open surgical techniques. Significant exposure of the surgical field is essential to the identification and precise manipulation of valves and other structures inside the heart and is key to successful surgical outcomes with minimal complications. Motion scaling allows a surgeon using the SSi Mantra to maneuver instruments inside the patient even more precisely than is possible in open surgery. The SSi Mantra has enabled heart valve repairs to be performed through small ports in a manner that could not have been accomplished with open surgery.

Thoracic Surgery

Conventional approaches to surgical procedures in the thorax include both open and video-assisted thoracoscopic approaches. Procedures performed via these methods include pulmonary wedge resection, pulmonary lobectomy, thymectomy, mediastinal mass excision and esophagectomy.

Head and Neck Surgery

Transoral Surgery. Head and neck cancers are typically treated by either surgical resection or chemo-radiation, or a combination of both. Surgical resection performed by an open approach may require a “jaw-splitting” mandibulotomy. This procedure, while effective in treating cancer, is potentially traumatic and disfiguring to the patient. Less invasive approaches via the mouth (transoral surgery) are challenged by line-of-sight limitations dictated by conventional endoscopic tools. Chemo-radiation as a primary therapy does allow patients to avoid traumatic surgical incisions; however, the literature suggests that this modality diminishes patients’ ability to speak and swallow normally. Robotically assisted transoral surgery allows them to operate on tumors occurring in the oropharynx (i.e., tonsil and base of tongue) and larynx via the mouth and to overcome some of the line-of-sight limitations of conventional transoral surgery.

Gynecologic Surgery

Hysterectomy. Removal of the uterus is one of the most performed surgeries in gynecology and is performed for a variety of underlying benign and cancerous conditions. Hysterectomies can be performed using open surgery or minimally invasive techniques, which include vaginal, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted approaches. We believe that robotic-assisted surgery with the SSi Mantra provides patients the opportunity to receive a minimally invasive treatment as an alternative to an open hysterectomy.

Sacro colpopexy. The abdominal (open) sacro colpopexy is one of the operations performed to treat vaginal vault prolapse. Sacro colpopexy involves suturing a synthetic mesh that connects and supports the vagina to the sacrum (tailbone). A sacro colpopexy can be performed using a conventional laparoscopic technique; however, it is often difficult and cumbersome to perform. Robotic assisted surgical capabilities enable a larger number of these procedures to be performed through a minimally invasive technique, conferring the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to a broader range of sacro colpopexy patients.

Urologic Surgery

Prostatectomy. Radical prostatectomy is the removal of the prostate gland and accompanying lymph nodes in patients diagnosed with clinically localized prostate cancer. The standard approach to the removal of the prostate was via an open surgical procedure. The conventional laparoscopic approach is an option, but it is difficult and poses challenges to even the most skilled urologist. The SSi Mantra will enable a larger number of surgeons to convert from using an open surgical technique to a minimally invasive robotic surgical technique.

Partial Nephrectomy. Partial nephrectomy is the removal of a small portion of a kidney (typically, an area of the kidney containing a tumor). Partial nephrectomies are most commonly performed in patients diagnosed with clinically localized renal cancer. Excluding robotic-assisted surgery, there are three common surgical approaches to performing partial nephrectomies: open surgical technique, laparoscopy, and hand-assisted laparoscopy, which is a hybrid of open surgery and laparoscopic techniques. Robotic assisted surgical capabilities may enable a large number of these procedures to be performed through a minimally invasive technique, conferring the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to a broader range of partial nephrectomy patients.

*Radical Nephrectomy.***A radical nephrectomy is a surgery to remove the entire kidney, typically done to treat kidney cancers and occasionally or other reasons. In some instances, the adrenal gland and lymph nodes may be removed as well.

Cystectomy*.* Robotic-assisted cystectomy is a minimally invasive bladder surgery with the same cancer removal success as open surgery. During a robotic cystectomy, robotically trained urology surgeons remove the bladder and redirect the urinary tract using a surgical robot. A robotic cystectomy is performed through a series of small keyhole-sized incisions across the abdomen, which is less painful, heals faster, and produces significantly less surface scarring than the larger incision associated with open surgery.

General Surgery

Hernia Repair. A hernia occurs when an organ or other tissue squeezes through a weak spot in a surrounding muscle or connective tissue. During a hernia repair surgery, the weakened tissue is secured, and defects are repaired. Common types of hernias are ventral and inguinal. Ventral, or abdominal hernia, may occur through a scar after surgery in the abdomen. Inguinal hernia is a bulge in the groin and is more common in men.

Colorectal Surgery. These procedures typically involve benign or cancerous conditions of the lower digestive system, in particular the rectum or colon. Common procedures in this area include hemicolectomy, sigmoidoscopy, low anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection.

Cholecystectomy. Cholecystectomy, or the surgical removal of the gall bladder, is a commonly performed general surgery procedure. Cholecystectomy is the primary method for the treatment of gallstones and other gall bladder diseases. Most cholecystectomies are performed using multi-port MIS techniques, although some surgeons choose to perform cholecystectomies using manual single-port instrumentation.

The Global Robotic Surgery Market

General

The global surgical robotics market was valued at $8.78 billion in 2023, and is projected to reach $37.5 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) of 17.5% from 2023 to 2032. Surgical robots offer significant advantages in minimally invasive surgery by enabling exceptionally precise manipulation of surgical instruments within constrained operation spaces, surpassing human capabilities. Robotic surgery is a procedure which involves a minimally invasive spectrum and represents an evolution in practice across numerous medical disciplines. Surgical robotics technology is used across various medical specialties, enabling surgeons to perform complex procedures through small incisions, resulting in reduced patient trauma, shorter recovery times, and enhanced patient outcomes*.*Surgeries conducted utilizing robotic systems are expected to grow by approximately 400%, from 1.6 million surgeries in 2020 to 6.2 million surgeries by 2030.

Market Dynamics

Increase in demand and acceptance of laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery (“MIS”) due to the benefits to patients and surgeons, such as better screening, greater precision, shorter hospitalization, reduced pain and discomfort has fueled the growth in the global surgical robotics market. In addition, the surge in the number of gynecological, neurological and urological diseases is a primary factor driving the surgical robotics market growth.

In addition, surgical robotics enable minimally invasive procedures, which involve smaller incisions, reduced trauma to surrounding tissues, and quicker recovery times. Patients are increasingly seeking procedures that result in less pain and shorter hospital stays, and surgical robots fulfill these demands and the rise in adoption of minimally invasive procedures has fueled market growth.

Many surgical robotic systems incorporate advanced visualization technologies, such as high-definition 3D imaging and augmented reality. These technologies grant surgeons a clearer view of the surgical site, enhancing their ability to visualize complex anatomical structures and perform intricate tasks. The growth of the surgical robotics market is expected to be driven by the availability of improved healthcare infrastructure, increase in unmet healthcare needs, rise in prevalence of chronic diseases, and surge in demand for advanced surgical robotics products.

Furthermore, the increase in need for automation in the healthcare industry and the shifting trend towards advanced robotic surgeries fuels market growth. Moreover, untapped economies such as Brazil, India, China and other developing economies create a lucrative surgical robotics market opportunity.

The demand for surgical robotics is not only limited to developed countries such as the U.S. but is also being witnessed in the developing countries, such as China, and India, which fuel the growth of the market. Factors such as the rise in the number of surgeries drive the adoption of robotic technologies across different specialties, contributing to the robust growth of the surgical robotics market. For instance, according to the National Center for Biotechnology and Information (NCBI), in 2022, around 1,918,030 new cancer cases are projected to occur in the United States. In light of this projection, the number of cancer surgeries performed by the subspecialty of robotic oncology surgeons is also expected to increase drastically as well.

Furthermore, as the global population ages, we expect that there will be a greater need for surgical interventions to address age-related health conditions which boosts market growth. Surgical robots assist surgeons in handling the complexities of these procedures, allowing for safer and more effective outcomes in elderly patients. Moreover, initially limited to specific procedures, robotic technologies are now being adapted for a broader spectrum of surgeries across various medical fields, including cardiac, neurology, urology, gynecology, and more. This versatility attracts hospitals and clinics aiming to offer comprehensive robotic surgical services which is expected to drive the market growth.

High initial costs associated with acquiring and implementing robotic systems, including infrastructure and training, pose a financial challenge for many healthcare facilities which may impede market growth. Regulatory complexities and concerns regarding patient safety, as well as the need for rigorous clinical validation of robotic procedures, slow down the adoption process. In addition, the intricate nature of surgical robotics necessitates specialized training for surgeons, potentially leading to a shortage of skilled professionals. These factors collectively hinder the rapid expansion of the surgical robotics market.

Segmental Overview

The surgical robotics industry is segmented into components, surgery type, and region. By component, the market is categorized into systems, accessories, and services. On the basis of surgery type, the market is segregated into gynecology surgery, urology surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, general surgery, and other surgeries. Region wise, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa (“LAMEA”).

By Component

With a consistently expanding installed base of surgical robotic systems globally and increasing utilization thereof, the accessories and services segment dominated the global surgical robotics market in 2022 and is expected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period, due to a further rise in the number of surgical robotics procedures performed with precision, accuracy, and improved patient outcomes, coupled with the increased adoption of surgical robotics technology. However, the systems segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to a rise in technological advancements and an increase in demand for advanced robotic surgical systems.

By Surgery Type

The general surgery segment dominated the global surgical robotics market share in 2022 and is anticipated to continue this trend during the forecast period. This is attributed to versatility and effectiveness of surgical robotics in a wide range of general surgery procedures, increase in patient demand for minimally invasive surgeries, and ongoing advancements in technology.

By Region

The surgical robotics market size is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. North America accounted for a major share of the surgical robotics industry in 2022 in terms of number of surgical robotic systems installed and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. In addition, the presence of well-established healthcare infrastructure, high purchasing power, and rise in adoption rate of advanced surgical robotics products are expected to drive the market growth. Furthermore, product launch, collaborations, and acquisitions adopted by the key players in this region boost the growth of the market.

Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest rate during the surgical robotics market forecast period. The market growth in this region is attributable to the growing industrial infrastructure, the rise in prevalence of chronic diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular conditions which has driven the need for sophisticated surgical interventions, which surgical robotic systems can provide. Moreover, the increase in awareness and acceptance of minimally invasive procedures among patients in the Asia-Pacific region along with the benefits offered by surgical robotics further propels the market growth in this region.

India:

Within the Asia-Pacific region, India, being the fastest growing economy, rising incomes and significant unmet need for high-quality healthcare services is potentially a key driver for the growth of surgical robotics in the country. While India’s healthcare sector is poised to grow from $110 billion in 2016 to $610 billion in 2026, its healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP is expected to grow from 3% to 6% and the ratio of insured households is expected to grow from 37% to 69% between 2023 and 2030. Similarly, India’s ratio of out-of-pocket healthcare spending is also expected to decline from 55% in 2023 to 36% in 2030, as the result of increased insurance penetration.

Historically, the lack of investment in healthcare infrastructure in India, has led it to lag behind World Health Organization (WHO) standards in terms of the number of hospital beds and physicians per 1,000 population. In the last several years, with the increasing burden of lifestyle diseases and additional factors such as increasing medical value travel, a systemic shift has occurred in India with a renewed focus on increasing healthcare spending. This trend is reflected in a 19.7% increase in hospital industry revenue from 2020 to 2023 and a 34.8% increase in hospital industry EBIDTA during the same period.

Sales, Marketing and Customer Support

Sales Model

We provide our products through a direct sales organization in India and, outside of India, through an expanding distributor network that, as of December 31, 2023, included distributors in Guatemala, the United Arab Emirates and ten other countries.

We are further expanding our domestic Indian and foreign distribution capabilities through the establishment of strategic partnerships. In December 2023, we entered into a memorandum of understanding with Surgical Lab, Ltd., a Cairo-based medical device distributor, to provide accessibility our SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System for the entire African continent. In January 2024, we reached an agreement in principle for a strategic partnership with India’s leading medical equipment supplier, Medikabazaar, to facilitate sales and distribution (including after sales support services) of the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System to hospitals and medical facilities across India.

Our direct sales organization is composed of a capital sales team of six individuals, which is responsible for selling systems, and a clinical support team of twenty individuals, which is responsible for supporting the systems used in procedures performed at our hospital accounts. Our hospital accounts include both individual hospitals and healthcare facilities as well as hospitals and healthcare facilities that are part of an integrated chain. The initial system sale into an account is a major capital equipment purchase by our customers and typically has a lengthy sales cycle that can be affected by evaluation periods, macroeconomic factors, capital spending prioritization, the timing of budgeting cycles and competitive bidding processes. Capital sales activities include educating surgeons, physicians and other hospital staff across multiple specialties on the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery with the SSi Mantra, total treatment costs and the clinical applications that our technology enables. We also train our sales organization to educate hospital management on the potential benefits of adopting our system, including the clinical benefits of robotic-assisted surgery with the SSi Mantra, such as improved patient outcomes.

Our clinical sales team works onsite at hospitals, interacting with surgeons and physicians, operating room staff and hospital administrators to develop and sustain successful robotic-assisted surgery. They assist the hospital in identifying surgeons or physicians who have an interest in robotic-assisted surgery and the potential benefits provided by the SSi Mantra. Our clinical sales team provides current clinical information on robotic-assisted surgery and new product applications to the hospital teams.

We offer our SSi Mantra through three selling models— outright purchase, purchase on a deferred or installment payment basis, and purchase on a pay per procedure basis.

Our customers place orders to replenish their supplies of instruments and accessories on a regular basis. New direct customers who purchase a system typically place an initial stocking order of instruments and accessories soon after they receive their system.

To date, substantially all of our sales have been in India, with one initial sale in the United Arab Emirates, where the SSi Mantra system is being utilized for surgical team training prior to the commencement of clinical procedures.

Our strategic collaboration agreement with Medikabazaar, will enable our sales, clinical and field service support teams to integrate into Medikabazaar’s existing network of approximately 1,000 professionals and the distribution of our product portfolio will be facilitated through Medikabazaar’s more than 40 fulfilment centers across India.

Training and Customer Support

We also provide training for surgeons, physicians and staff on the operation and use of the SSi Mantra using a variety of training approaches. These include didactic modules training, hands on training, dry runs with the surgeons and their entire team, in-person proctored initial cases, on-site support for additional cases and remote proctoring support for complex cases.

We have a network of field service and technical support engineers in India and are establishing relationships with various distributors around the globe where we intend to market and sell the SSi Mantra. This infrastructure of service and support specialists, along with advanced service tools and solutions, offers a full complement of services for our customers, including installation, repair, maintenance, 24/7 technical support and proactive system health monitoring.

Research and Development

We focus our research and development efforts on enhancing and improving our products and services with a view to fulfilling our vision that the benefits of advanced robotic surgery should be cost-effective and available to everyone. Through ingenuity and intelligent technology, we believe that we can expand the potential of physicians to heal without constraints due to both cost and accessibility of these technologies. We employ engineering and research and development staff to focus on delivering future innovations and sustaining improvements that advance our mission. In certain instances, we complement our research and development effort through collaborations with other companies or organizations such as our arrangement with Johns Hopkins University.

Manufacturing

Our systems and instruments are manufactured by our employees at our 51,100 square-foot facility in Gurgaon, Delhi NCR, India. The manufacturing of our products is a complex operation involving a number of separate processes and components.

We purchase both custom and off-the-shelf components from a large number of suppliers and subject them to stringent quality specifications, inspections, and processes. Some of the components necessary for the assembly of our products are currently provided to us by sole-sourced suppliers (the only recognized supply source available to us) or single-sourced suppliers (the only approved supply source for us among other sources). We believe, however, that alternative suppliers are available if it should become necessary, although no assurance can be given that we could secure such alternative sources of supply, if required, on commercially reasonable terms or without undue operational disruption.

We purchase the majority of our components and major assemblies through purchase orders rather than long-term supply agreements and generally do not maintain large volumes of finished goods relative to our anticipated demand.

Subject to receipt of necessary financing, we plan to expand our in-house manufacturing capacity in order to meet anticipated increases in demand and to reduce our reliance on third-party suppliers.

Competition

We face competition in the forms of existing open surgery, conventional MIS, drug therapies, radiation treatment and other emerging diagnostic and interventional surgical approaches. Our success depends on continued clinical and technical innovation, quality and reliability, as well as educating hospitals, surgeons and patients on the demonstrated results associated with robotic-assisted medical procedures using our SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System and its efficacy and cost-effectiveness relative to other techniques.

We compete with a number of U.S. and foreign companies that have developed and currently manufacture and market products in the field of robotic-assisted medical procedures, including but not limited to: Intuitive Surgical, Inc.; Asensus Surgical, Inc.; avateramedical GmbH; CMR Surgical Ltd.; Johnson & Johnson; Medicaroid Corporation; Medrobotics Corporation; Medtronic plc; meerecompany Inc.; Olympus Corporation; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd; Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Company Ltd.; Shanghai Microport Medbot (Group) Co., Ltd.; and Titan Medical Inc. Most, if not all of these companies have longer operating histories and greater financial resources than SSi. In addition, other companies with substantial experience in industrial robotics could potentially expand into the field of medical robotics and become competitors.

Our failure to compete effectively with these existing and potential competitors could adversely affect our results of operations, business and prospects.

Intellectual Property

We place considerable importance on obtaining and maintaining patent, copyright, and trademark protection for our technologies, products and processes.

We generally rely upon a combination of intellectual property laws, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our proprietary technology. For example, we have patents and trademarks, both registered and unregistered, that provide distinctive identification of our products in the marketplace.

As of the date of this Annual Report, our intellectual property portfolio consists of 33 granted utility patents and 63 pending utility patent applications as follows:

Further, our intellectual property portfolio also consists of 44 granted design patents and one pending design patent application as follows:

In addition, we have filed 53 applications for trademark registrations in India of which 29 have been granted.

We have also filed two copyright applications, both of which have been granted.

We intend to apply for additional patents in various jurisdictions.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, we cannot be certain as to the scope of protection that the patents granted will afford our technology and products, nor can we be certain that any pending or future patent applications will be granted. Furthermore, if any protection we obtain is reduced or eliminated, others could use our intellectual property without compensating us, resulting in harm to our business. In addition, others may assert that our products infringe on their intellectual property rights, which may cause us to engage in costly disputes and, if we are not successful in defending ourselves, could also cause us to pay substantial damages and prohibit us from selling our products.

None of our patents and patent applications are licensed to or from third parties.** **

Government Regulation

General

Our products and operations are subject to regulation in India by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (the “CDSCO”), by the Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) in the U.S. and by similar agencies in other countries and regions in which we market or plan to market our products. In addition, our products must meet the requirements of a large and growing body of international standards, which govern the design, manufacture, materials content and sourcing, testing, certification, packaging, installation, use and disposal of our products. We must continually keep abreast of these regulations, standards and requirements and integrate our compliance into the development and regulatory documentation for our products. Failure to meet these standards could limit our ability to market our products in those regions that require compliance with such standards. Examples of standards to which we are subject include ISO 13485, an internationally recognized quality management system for the design, development and manufacture of medical devices.

ISO 13485 Quality Management System

ISO 13485 is an internationally recognized quality management system for the design, development and manufacture of medical devices. It sets out the requirements for a quality management system specific to the medical device industry. This standard is designed to be used by manufacturers and end-users throughout the life cycle of a medical device. We are required to meet this standard to register our products for sale globally and are subject to rigorous annual reassessment and audit procedures.

Our Company has developed an ISO 13485 QMS system in line with EN ISO 13485 and 21 CFR 820, for compliance with U.S. and European Union (“EU”) quality management systems requirements.

We received ISO 13485 certifications in 2021 and have successfully completed two surveillance audits.

India Regulation

Medical devices in India had been mostly unregulated for a long time but that has changed in recent years, with the adoption of rules and regulations designed to improve and enhance patient safety. Our products are primarily regulated under the Indian Medical Device Rules, 2017, as amended by the Medical Device (Amendment) Rules, 2020 (as amended, the “IMDR”) promulgated and administered by the CDSCO. These rules cover various aspects of medical device related regulations, including classification, registration, manufacturing and import, labeling, sales, and post-market requirements. Similar to rules in the EU, they mandate that devices are safe and perform their intended function.

Based on intended use of the device, the risks associated with the device and other parameters referred to in the IMDR, the Central Licensing Authority of India classifies Medical Devices into four risk classes: A (low risk); B (low moderate risk); C (moderate high risk); and D (high risk).

The CDSCO has further divided the device classifications into 24 panels, where our surgical robotic system is classified as a Class B device pertaining to operating room procedures.

We currently have CDSCO approval for the manufacture, sale and distribution of our products and a license to export our products from India.

U.S. Regulation

Our products will be subject to regulation as medical devices in the United States under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FFDCA”), as implemented and enforced by the FDA. The FDA regulates the development, design, non-clinical and clinical research, manufacturing, safety, efficacy, labeling, packaging, storage, installation, recordkeeping, complaint and adverse event reporting, clearance, approval, certification, promotion, marketing, export, import, distribution and service of medical devices in the U.S. to ensure that medical devices distributed domestically are safe and effective for their intended uses.

We have filed a pre-submission application with the FDA requesting feedback on the SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System and we received acknowledgment of the filing on January 17, 2024.

Under the FFDCA, medical devices are classified into one of three classes—Class I, Class II or Class III—depending on the degree of risk associated with each medical device and the extent of control needed to ensure safety and effectiveness. We believe that our current SSi Mantra Surgical Robotic System and other products will be classified as Class II medical devices.

Class II medical devices are those that are subject to general controls, and most require premarket demonstration of adherence to certain performance standards, as specified by the FDA, and special controls as deemed necessary by the FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device. These special controls can include performance standards, post-market surveillance, patient registries and FDA guidance documents.

Manufacturers of most Class II devices are required to submit to the FDA a premarket notification under Section 510(k) of the FFDCA requesting authorization to commercially distribute the device. The FDA’s authorization to commercially distribute a device subject to a 510(k) premarket notification is generally known as 510(k) clearance. Our current products are expected to be subject to premarket notification and clearance under section 510(k) of the FFDCA. To obtain 510(k) clearance, we must submit to the FDA a premarket notification submission demonstrating that the proposed device is “substantially equivalent” to a legally marketed predicate device.

The FDA may require additional information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence. In addition, the FDA collects user fees for certain medical device submissions and annual fees for medical device establishments.

If the FDA agrees that the device is substantially equivalent to a predicate device, it will grant clearance to commercially market the device in the U.S. The FDA has a statutory ninety-day (90-day) period to respond to a 510(k) submission; however, as a practical matter, clearance often takes longer. The FDA may require further information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence. If the FDA determines that the device, or its intended use, is not “substantially equivalent” to a predicate device, the device may be designated as a Class III device. The device sponsor must proceed with and fulfill the requirements of the more rigorous requirements of the premarket approval (“PMA”) process or can request a risk-based classification determination for the device in accordance with the de novo classification pathway, which is a route to market for novel medical devices that are low to moderate risk and are not substantially equivalent to a predicate device.

The PMA process is more demanding than the 510(k) premarket notification process. In a PMA application, the manufacturer must demonstrate that the device is safe and effective, and the PMA application must be supported by extensive data, including data from preclinical studies and human clinical trials. The FDA, by statute and regulation, has 180 days to review a PMA application, although the review more often occurs over a significantly longer period of time and can take up to several years. In approving a PMA application or clearing a 510(k) submission, the FDA may also require some additional manufacturing controls, design control activities and approvals, as well as specific post-market surveillance requirements when necessary to protect the public health or to provide additional safety and effectiveness data for the device. In such cases, the manufacturer might be required to follow certain patient groups for a number of years and make periodic reports to the FDA on the clinical status of those patients.

Clinical trials are almost always required to support a PMA and are sometimes required to support a 510(k) submission. All clinical investigations designed to determine the safety and effectiveness of a medical device must be conducted in accordance with the FDA’s investigational device exemption (“IDE”) regulations, which govern investigational device labeling, prohibit the promotion of the investigational device and specify an array of recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring responsibilities of study sponsors and study investigators. Regardless of the degree of risk presented by the medical device, clinical studies must be approved by, and conducted under the oversight of, an Institutional Review Board (“IRB”) for each clinical site. During a study, the sponsor is required to comply with the applicable FDA requirements, including, for example, trial monitoring, selecting clinical investigators and providing them with the investigational plan, ensuring IRB review, adverse event reporting, record keeping and prohibitions on the promotion of investigational devices or on making safety or effectiveness claims for them. The clinical investigators in the clinical study are also subject to the FDA’s regulations and must obtain patient informed consent, rigorously follow the investigational plan and study protocol, control the disposition of the investigational device and comply with all reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Additionally, after a trial begins, we, the FDA, or the IRB could suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time for various reasons, including a belief that the risks to study subjects outweigh the anticipated benefits.

After a device receives 510(k) clearance, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a major change or modification in its intended use, will require a new 510(k) clearance or, depending on the modification, PMA approval or de novo classification. The FDA requires each manufacturer to determine whether the proposed change requires submission of a 510(k), de novo classification or a PMA in the first instance, but the FDA can review any such decision and disagree with a manufacturer’s determination. If the FDA disagrees with a manufacturer’s determination, the FDA can require the manufacturer to cease marketing and/or request the recall of the modified device until 510(k) marketing clearance, approval of a PMA or issuance of a de novo classification. Also, in these circumstances, the manufacturer may be subject to significant regulatory fines or penalties.

In addition, the FDA may place significant limitations upon the intended use of our products as a condition of granting marketing authorization. Moreover, after a device is placed on the market, numerous FDA and other regulatory requirements continue to apply. These requirements include establishment registration and device listing with the FDA; compliance with medical device reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA if their device caused or contributed, or may have caused or contributed, to a death or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if it were to recur; compliance with corrections and removal reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA field corrections and product recalls or removals if undertaken to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the FFDCA that may present a risk to health; the FDA’s recall authority, whereby the agency can order device manufacturers to recall from the market a product that is in violation of governing laws and regulations; and post-market surveillance activities and regulations, which apply when deemed by the FDA to be necessary to protect the public health or to provide additional safety and effectiveness data for the device. In addition, the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission also regulate the advertising and promotion of our products to ensure that the claims we make are consistent with our regulatory clearances, that there is scientific data to substantiate the claims and that our advertising is neither false nor misleading. In general, we may not promote or advertise our products for uses not within the scope of our intended use statement in our clearances or make unsupported safety and effectiveness claims.

In the U.S., our manufacturing processes will be required to comply with the Quality System Regulation (“QSR”). The QSR covers, among other things, the methods used in, and the facilities and controls used for, the design, testing, controlling, documenting, manufacture, packaging, labeling, storage, installation and servicing of all medical devices intended for human use. The QSR also requires maintenance of extensive records, which demonstrate compliance with the FDA regulations, the manufacturer’s own procedures, specifications and testing, as well as distribution and post-market experience. Compliance with the QSR is necessary for a manufacturer to be able to continue to market cleared or approved product offerings in the U.S. A company’s facilities, records and manufacturing processes are subject to periodic scheduled or unscheduled inspections by the FDA. Failure to maintain compliance with applicable QSR requirements could result in the shut-down of, or restrictions on, manufacturing operations and the recall or seizure of marketed products. If the FDA determines that a manufacturer has failed to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, it can take a variety of compliance or enforcement actions, which may result in any of the following sanctions:

In addition, the discovery of previously unknown problems with any marketed products, including unanticipated adverse events or adverse events of increasing severity or frequency, whether resulting from the use of the device within the scope of its clearance or off-label by a physician in the practice of medicine, could result in restrictions on the device, including the removal of the product from the market or voluntary or mandatory device recalls.

Products manufactured outside of the U.S. by or for us are subject to U.S. Customs and FDA inspection upon entry into the U.S. We must demonstrate compliance of such products with U.S. regulations and carefully document the eventual distribution or re-exportation of such products. Failure to comply with all applicable regulations could prevent us from having access to products or components critical to the manufacture of finished products and lead to shortages and delays.

European Union Regulation

In the European Union (the “EU”), all medical devices placed on the EU market must meet the essential requirements (“Essential Requirements”), including the requirement that a medical device must be designed and manufactured in such a way that it will not compromise the clinical condition or safety of patients or the safety and health of users and others. In addition, the device must achieve the performance intended by the manufacturer and be designed, manufactured and packaged in a suitable manner.

All medical devices are currently regulated by Regulation (EU) No 2017/745 (the “EU Medical Devices Regulation” or the “MDR”), which became effective on May 26, 2021 and replaced the former regulatory framework set forth in Council Directive 93/42/EEC (the “MDD”).

The MDR was adopted with the aim of ensuring better protection of public health and patient safety. The MDR establishes a uniform, transparent, predictable and sustainable regulatory framework across the EU for medical devices and ensures a high level of safety and health while supporting innovation. Unlike directives, regulations are directly applicable in EU member states without the need for member states to implement them into national law. This aims to increase harmonization across the EU member states.

The MDR requires that, before placing a device on the market, other than a custom-made device, manufacturers (as well as other economic operators, such as authorized representatives and importers) must register by submitting identification information to the EUDAMED electronic system, which is in the process of being implemented. The information to be submitted by manufacturers (and authorized representatives) also includes the name, address and contact details of the person or persons responsible for regulatory compliance. The MDR also requires that, before placing a device on the market, other than a custom-made device, manufacturers must assign a unique identifier to the device and provide it along with other core data to the unique device identifier (“UDI”) database.

All manufacturers placing medical devices on the market in the EU must comply with the EU medical device vigilance system. Under this system, serious incidents and Field Safety Corrective Actions (“FSCAs”) must be reported to the relevant authorities of EU member states. These reports are to be submitted through EUDAMED (once fully functional) and aim to ensure that, in addition to reporting to the relevant authorities of the EU member states, other actors, such as the economic operators in the supply chain, will also be informed. Until EUDAMED is fully functional, the corresponding provisions of the MDD continue to apply. Manufacturers are required to take FSCAs, which are defined as any corrective action for technical or medical reasons to prevent or reduce a risk of a serious incident associated with the use of a medical device that is made available on the market.

The advertising and promotion of medical devices is subject to some general principles set forth in EU legislation. According to the MDR, only devices that are CE (Conformité Européene) marked may be marketed and advertised in the EU in accordance with their intended purpose. Directive 2006/114/EC concerning misleading and comparative advertising and Directive 2005/29/EC on unfair commercial practices, while not specific to the advertising of medical devices, also apply to the advertising thereof and contain general rules, such as, for example, requiring that advertisements are evidenced, balanced and not misleading. Specific requirements are defined at a national level. EU member states’ laws related to the advertising and promotion of medical devices, which vary between jurisdictions, may limit or restrict the advertising and promotion of products to the general public and may impose limitations on promotional activities with healthcare professionals.

Many EU member states have adopted specific anti-gift statutes that further limit commercial practices for medical devices, in particular vis-à-vis healthcare professionals and organizations. Additionally, there has been a recent trend of increased regulation of payments and transfers of value provided to healthcare professionals or entities and many EU member states have adopted national “Sunshine Acts,” which impose reporting and transparency requirements (often on an annual basis), similar to the requirements in the United States, on medical device manufacturers. Certain EU member states also mandate implementation of commercial compliance programs.

In the EU, regulatory authorities have the power to carry out announced and, if necessary, unannounced inspections of companies, as well as of suppliers and/or sub-contractors and, where necessary, the facilities of professional users. Failure to comply with the applicable regulatory requirements could require time and resources to respond to the regulatory authorities’ observations and to implement corrective and preventive actions, as appropriate. Regulatory authorities have broad compliance and enforcement powers and, if such issues cannot be resolved to their satisfaction, can take a variety of actions, including untitled or warning letters, fines, consent decrees, injunctions, or civil or criminal penalties.

The aforementioned EU rules are generally applicable in the European Economic Area (“EEA”), which consists of the twenty-seven EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Other countries

Regulations in other countries, including the requirements for approvals, certification or clearance and the time required for regulatory review, vary from country to country. Certain countries, such as South Korea, Brazil, Australia and Canada, have their own regulatory agencies. These countries typically require regulatory approvals and compliance with extensive safety and quality system regulations included in the Medical Device Single Audit Program that we will be required to comply with on an ongoing basis. Failure to obtain regulatory approval in any foreign country in which we plan to market our products or failure to comply with any regulation in any foreign country in which we market our products may negatively impact our ability to generate revenue and harm our business.

In addition, local regulations may apply, which govern the use of our products, and which could have an adverse effect on our product utilization if they are unfavorable. All such regulations are revised from time to time and, in general, are increasing in complexity and in the scope and degree of documentation and testing required. There can be no assurance that the outcomes from such documentation and testing will be acceptable to any particular regulatory agency or will continue to be acceptable over time. There are further regulations governing the importation, marketing, sale, distribution, use, and service as well as the removal and disposal of medical devices in the regions in which we operate and market our products. Failure to comply with any of these regulations could result in sanctions or fines and could prevent us from marketing our products in these regions.

Our ISO 13485 (quality management system) approval, CDSCO approval for the manufacture, sale and distribution of our products and our Indian export license allows us to market our products in fifty (50) non-FDA and non-CE (EU) countries without further regulatory approvals and in an additional seventy-nine (79) countries require only minimal registration. We have received regulatory approval to market and sell our products in the United Arab Emirates and Guatemala and have initiated the regulatory approval process, which if successful, will allow us to market our products in more than fifty (50) countries within approximately one year. However, there can be no assurance as to when we will secure any such regulatory approvals, if at all.

Data Privacy and Security Laws

Numerous state, federal, and foreign laws, regulations, and standards govern the collection, use, access to, confidentiality, and security of health-related and other personal information and could apply now or in the future to our operations or the operations of our partners. In the U.S., numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including data breach notification laws, health information privacy and security laws and consumer protection laws and regulations govern the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of health-related and other personal information. In addition, certain foreign laws govern the privacy and security of personal data, including health-related data. Privacy and security laws, regulations, and other obligations are constantly evolving, may conflict with each other to complicate compliance efforts, and can result in investigations, proceedings, or actions that lead to significant civil and/or criminal penalties and restrictions on data processing.

We collect, process, share, disclose, transfer, and otherwise use data, some of which contains personal information about identifiable individuals including, but not limited to, our employees, clinical trial participants, partners, and vendors. Therefore, if we commence marketing our products in the U.S., the EU and other countries, we will be subject to U.S. (federal, state and local) and international laws and regulations, including those in the EEA regarding data privacy and security and our use of such data.

If we market our products in the EU, we will be subject to the European Union General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 and applicable national supplementing laws (collectively, the “GDPR”). The GDPR imposes comprehensive data privacy compliance obligations in relation to our collection, processing, sharing, disclosure, transfer and other use of data relating to an identifiable living individual or “personal data,” including a principle of accountability and the obligation to demonstrate compliance through policies, procedures, training, and audits.

The GDPR also regulates cross-border transfers of personal data out of the EEA. Recent legal developments in Europe have created complexity and uncertainty regarding such transfers, in particular in relation to transfers to the United States.

Cybersecurity

In the normal course of business, we may collect and store personal information and other sensitive information, including proprietary and confidential business information, trade secrets, intellectual property, patient information, sensitive third-party information and employee information. To protect this information, our existing cybersecurity policies require continuous monitoring and detection programs, network security precautions, encryption of critical data and in-depth security assessments of vendors. We maintain various protections designed to safeguard against cyberattacks, including firewalls and virus detection software. We have established and regularly test our disaster recovery plan, and we protect against business interruption by backing up our major systems. In addition, we periodically scan our environment for any vulnerabilities, perform penetration testing and engage third parties to assess the effectiveness of our data security practices.

Employees

As of the date of this Annual Report, we had 239 employees, 102 of whom were engaged in manufacturing and service, 38 in marketing and sales, 50 in research and development, 4 in quality control and 45 in administration. Most of our employees are based at our facility in Gurgaon, Delhi NCR, India. We generally consider our relationship with our employees to be good.** **