ExplORer Surgical

About ExplORer Surgical

ExplORer Surgical provides a digital platform designed to optimize workflow and collaboration within the operating room for medical device companies and surgical teams. The company was founded in 2015 by Jennifer Fried, who was an MBA student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and Dr. Alexander Langerman, a head and neck surgeon and researcher at the University of Chicago Medical Center. The concept originated from Dr. Langerman's research into operating room efficiency, which identified significant variability and inefficiencies that could impact patient outcomes. Fried, with a background in healthcare venture capital and consulting, partnered with Dr. Langerman to translate these clinical insights into a scalable technology solution.

The company's core offering is a cloud-based software platform that functions as an interactive surgical playbook. It provides customized, step-by-step digital workflows for each member of the surgical team, aiming to standardize best practices and reduce procedural variability. The platform's main features include real-time video collaboration, telementoring capabilities, and performance tracking tools. This allows medical device representatives and senior clinical experts to remotely guide and support surgical teams during live procedures, which became particularly critical when physical access to operating rooms was restricted. The system also facilitates the intraoperative capture of data, replacing traditional paper-based methods and providing analytics to improve efficiency and outcomes.

ExplORer Surgical's business model is centered on serving medical device companies, helping them to accelerate product adoption, support clinical trials, and provide consistent training and case support for their products. The platform is utilized across a wide range of surgical specialties, including orthopedics, spine, cardiovascular, and robotics, in various settings like hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. After raising over $12.8 million in funding through several rounds, with investors including Aphelion Capital and The University of Chicago, ExplORer Surgical was acquired by Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX) in October 2021. It now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GHX, integrating its procedural guidance and data capture technology with GHX's extensive healthcare supply chain network to further support value-based care.