AlgoSurg: How Vikas Karade is Building the Algorithms for a Surgical Renaissance
In the world of modern manufacturing, everything from car assembly to smartphone production is governed by precise, automated algorithms. Yet, in the high-stakes environment of an operating room, many surgical procedures—particularly in orthopedics—still rely on manual techniques and 2D planning. Vikas Karade, Founder of AlgoSurg, is on a mission to bridge this technological gap. By digitizing human anatomy and building "algorithms for surgery," Vikas is ushering in a Renaissance of precision, efficiency, and automated guidance for surgeons worldwide.
Vikas Karade’s journey is one of relentless curiosity and academic excellence. Hailing from a small town near Nagpur, he spent over a decade at IIT Bombay, completing his B.Tech, Master’s, and eventually a Ph.D. during which he invented the core technology for AlgoSurg. His work was so groundbreaking that he was recognized by the President of India and selected for the prestigious Y Combinator accelerator (W18 batch). Alongside his co-founder Amit Maurya, Vikas has spent the last several years navigating the complex regulatory and clinical world of MedTech to bring his "XrayTo3D" vision to life.
The MedTech Reality Check
Unlike e-commerce or SaaS, MedTech is a "matter of life and death." Vikas emphasizes that surgical automation isn't about moving fast and breaking things—it’s about years of clinical trials, FDA approvals, and deep collaboration with surgeons to ensure absolute safety and reliability before a single product is sold.
The Problem: The Blind Spots of 2D Planning
Most orthopedic surgeries are planned using conventional 2D X-rays. However, the human body is three-dimensional. When a surgeon prepares to cut a bone or place an implant based on a flat image, there is a significant margin for error. While surgical robots have begun to enter the market, they are often prohibitively expensive and only "assist" rather than "automate" the complex logic of the procedure.
"Everything in a car factory is automated with robots," Vikas explains. "But to automate a process, you first need an algorithm to simulate it. We started AlgoSurg to simulate the surgery in a virtual environment before the first incision is ever made."
The Solution: XrayTo3D and Surgical Simulation
AlgoSurg’s core innovation is an algorithm that converts a standard 2D X-ray into a high-fidelity 3D model of the patient’s anatomy. This allows surgeons to perform a "virtual surgery" where they can precisely measure bone angles, select the optimal implant size, and determine the exact location for surgical cuts.
The AlgoSurg Workflow
- Anatomy Digitization: Converting 2D X-ray images into patient-specific 3D bone models.
- Virtual Planning: The software simulates the surgical procedure, identifying where to cut and what implant to use.
- Automated Guidance: The simulation data can be fed into 3D-printed instruments, AR glasses, or eventually, surgical robots.
- Enhanced Precision: Improving the accuracy of orthopedic corrections while reducing the time spent in the OR.
The MedTech Marathon: 5 Years to Revenue
Vikas is candid about the "toughness" of the MedTech sector. While an app can go from idea to launch in weeks, a "Class II" medical device requires years of prototyping, clinical testing, and regulatory navigation. AlgoSurg survived its early years through a mix of government grants, YC funding, and strategic partnerships with foundations like Intuitive Surgical.
"You cannot compare your journey with an e-commerce startup," Vikas warns. "It easily takes four to five years without any revenue. You have to work with surgeons for months just to understand the problem. If you aren't a good planner, the regulatory timeline will kill your startup."
AlgoSurg Milestones & Scale
- Y Combinator W18: Selected for its "out-of-the-box" innovation in deep tech.
- IIT Bombay Pedigree: Developed through 4+ years of Ph.D. research and masters' projects.
- Strategic Funding: Received grants from the Govt. of India and funding from the Intuitive Surgical Foundation.
- Surgical Reach: Dozens of unofficial "surgeon partners" across India providing clinical feedback.
Learning from the Lockdown: A Pivot to Training
The 2020 pandemic presented a massive challenge for AlgoSurg, as clinical trials and surgeries came to a grinding halt. However, Vikas used this time to rethink his strategy. He realized that while the core surgical tools required long FDA timelines, the technology could be immediately used for surgical training and simulation.
By building a surgical training module that didn't require clinical trials, the team was able to find a faster path to commercialization. This "dual-track" strategy—pursuing long-term surgical automation while delivering short-term training value—has made AlgoSurg more resilient and versatile.
Founder's Lesson: Passion over Commerce
Vikas believes that the only way to survive the long MedTech timeline is through passion for the technology. "It’s not just about the commerce. It’s about the privilege of working with top surgeons to solve life-changing problems. That energy is what keeps us going."
The Meaning of Entrepreneurship
For Vikas, entrepreneurship is the act of putting a "big impact" on the world. He compares his mission to that of Elon Musk—it’s not just about a product, but about changing how a civilization operates. Whether it’s getting milk delivered online or performing robotic surgery on Mars, entrepreneurship is about identifying a problem people didn't know was obvious and solving it permanently.
AlgoSurg is proving that the operating room is ready for its digital upgrade. By turning X-rays into 3D insights, Vikas Karade and his team are ensuring that for the surgeons of the future, every cut is calculated and every patient is a success.
About the Guest
Vikas Karade is the Founder and CEO of AlgoSurg. An alumnus of IIT Bombay with a B.Tech, Masters, and Ph.D. in Materials Engineering, Vikas is a recognized inventor in the field of medical device technology. He was honored as an Innovation Scholar at the President's House in India and has led AlgoSurg through the Winter 2018 batch of Y Combinator. He is a passionate advocate for the intersection of algorithms, 3D printing, and surgery to improve global healthcare outcomes.
AlgoSurg is a deep-tech MedTech company that develops AI-powered software for surgical automation. Based in Mumbai and the US, the firm specializes in 3D surgical planning and simulation, helping orthopedic surgeons perform complex procedures with higher precision and lower operative times.