Start-up Vivo Surgical, a medical device company based in Singapore, has won the WIPO-IPOS IP for Innovation Award for 2022.

Now in its tenth year, this award celebrates Singaporean companies that have achieved outstanding growth through the successful application of intangible assets and intellectual property. Over 40 organisations have received this accolade since its inception, with this year’s criteria centred around adaptable and resilient companies emerging through recent global challenges.

Vivo Surgical’s products and pipeline comprise innovative medical devices that enhance how surgeries are performed worldwide. The company is currently developing the world’s first disposable robot for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgeries (NOTES), and a portable endoscopic diagnostic device – ENLYT – with technologies that will eventually be incorporated into the robot’s final design. These solutions will complement the company’s existing CE-certified KLARO in vivo lighting device, which is designed to address inadequate illumination in operating theatres, providing a clearer view of surgical cavities. The company is now working with several renowned hospitals across the US, Europe and Asia, and its devices are distributed in multiple international territories.

Dr Kevin Koh, CEO of Vivo Surgical, said: “In just four-and-a-half years, we have built a company that focuses on addressing clinical needs with cutting-edge technologies. Being recognised with this award is a huge moment, not only for the team at Vivo Surgical, but also for all the patients our products help around the world. We hope that this achievement demonstrates how a young company like ours can punch above its weight on the world stage and inspire other start-ups to do the same."