Funds from the oversubscribed round will be used to fuel continued expansion and commercialization in major U.S. hospitals
VitVio, an AI-powered platform that autonomously coordinates operating room staff, flags delays, and reduces the administrative load on surgical teams, has closed an $8M seed round. The oversubscribed round was led by returning investor Bek Ventures (fka Earlybird Digital East) with participation from early backers LDV Capital and Tiny Supercomputer Investment Company, as well as new investors Balnord, Thornapple River Capital, healthcare thought-leader Joe Mullings and Mati Staniszewski, founder of the voice AI unicorn ElevenLabs. The round brings VitVio’s total funding to $10M and will be used to expand across U.S. hospitals.
Operating rooms represent roughly 40% of hospital expenses and up to 60% of total revenue, placing them at the core of financial performance.[1] Yet inefficiencies in scheduling, resource utilization, and case turnover contribute an estimated $1,800 in unplanned costs per surgery[2] – or about $1.4 million annually per OR – adding up to $50 billion in avoidable cost impact across the U.S.[3] At the same time, hospitals continue to face increasing operational pressure from aging populations, rising costs, personnel shortages and post-surgical resource demands.
VitVio’s platform helps hospital and perioperative leaders mitigate these strains by automating the capture and analysis of intra-operative data and visualizing, predicting, and improving operational performance.
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VitVio leverages AI, computer vision and ambient sensing technologies to digitize operating rooms in 3D, in real-time, to understand who is doing what, when, where and why. Based on that input, AI agents automate routine tasks like logging surgical phases (patient arrival, incision, wound closure, etc.) and coordinating staff across the perioperative process – making sure people are informed, aligned, and orchestrated autonomously. The intelligent system also delivers real-time estimates for case completion and issues dynamic alerts for deviations from standard procedure. All patient data is anonymized at the point of capture and securely handled with end-to-end encryption. By integrating a secure dashboard within hospital information systems, VitVio provides actionable data on utilization, case flow, and resource allocation, so that hospitals can identify bottlenecks, reduce waste, and strengthen scheduling precision – translating directly into measurable efficiency and financial impact.
“We backed VitVio at pre-seed and came back for the seed for one reason: we’re seeing measurable differences in how operating rooms actually run with this technology. This isn’t theoretical AI; it’s operationally impactful technology that pays for itself.” said Cem Sertoglu, Managing Partner at Bek Ventures. “We’re confident VitVio will be one of the companies that defines AI’s role in the OR.”
“As early believers in VitVio’s AI-driven platform to enhance operating room efficiency, we at LDV Capital are thrilled to lead their pre-seed and invest in their seed round. Their real-time technology will help hospitals boost ROI and enable clinicians to focus on patient care,” commented Evan Nisselson, Founder and General Partner at LDV Capital.
“Having been in the industry for over three decades, I know that while tech is important, it’s the team behind it that truly drives success – and this team has what it takes,” said Joe Muillings. “VitVio is using AI to revolutionize how ORs function, and it’s clear they’re building something that could change the game in healthcare.”
“Hospitals everywhere are under immense pressure – escalating expenses, demographic shifts, and ongoing staffing constraints are stretching systems to the limit,” said Thomas Knox, Co-Founder and CEO of VitVio. “VitVio gives hospitals a way out of that cycle. By automating the administrative load that drains time and margin, we help clinicians focus on patients and help hospitals operate sustainably.”
VitVio’s co-founders – Thomas Knox (CEO), Dr. Peter Rennert (CTO), Maks Kozarzewski (COO), and Aleks Pajewski (CPO) – are veteran technologists with a proven record of advancing innovation across industries including travel (Kiwi.com, Hyperloop), IoT (VusionGroup), and autonomous retail (AiFi, Standard AI). Their collective expertise has supported global deployments with partners such as Aldi, Walmart, Dollar General, Circle K, Carrefour and many more. Their expertise building real-time, AI-powered IoT operations at scale fuels VitVio’s mission to bring the same level of efficiency and visibility to hospital operating rooms.
The investment will drive VitVio’s expansion plans, including growing its team across engineering, operations, and other key areas to meet increasing demand.
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