Augmented reality med-tech developer Augmedics has announced the appointment of a new CEO. The position is to be held by medical technology veteran Kevin Hykes. This addition to Augmedics’ leadership comes alongside the appointment of Raj Asarpota as CFO. Both additions signal accelerating growth for the company and its proprietary “Xvision” technology.“I am thrilled to welcome a commercial CEO of Kevin’s caliber,” said Augmedics founder Nissan Elimelech, who will stay with the company as chief product officer. “Our ability to recruit veteran operating executives like Kevin and Raj is a testament to the game-changing potential of the Xvision system in the surgical market. Kevin’s track record speaks for itself, and I can’t wait to work with him in this exciting new chapter of Augmedics’ history.”Augmedics’ Xvision system allows surgeons to observe patients’ anatomy through skin and tissue during spinal procedures, in order to properly maneuver implants and instruments within the body. The technology’s viability led to an oversubscribed $36 million Series C round in March, led by Almeda Ventures, H.I.G. Capital and Revival healthcare.
“While there are a number of virtual and augmented reality visualization systems on the market for educational and planning purposes, Augmedics is the first-ever augmented-reality system to demonstrate the precision and accuracy necessary for approval as a surgical guidance system and remains the leading spine-based system on the market,” said Hykes. “I am excited to lead the company into this next era as we continue to fundamentally disrupt the way that surgery is practiced with the groundbreaking Xvision system.”Augmedics board chairman Rick Anderson said, “I am proud to welcome Kevin as the next CEO of Augmedics and would like to thank Nissan for his intrepid leadership over the last seven years. This next phase of the company will be marked by extraordinary achievements both in technology development and market expansion. We are delighted to welcome outstanding leaders who share our commitment and passion to make Xvision technology the leading augmented-reality platform in healthcare.”