Illuminant Surgical, a precision access and visualization company transforming how doctors see and navigate the human body, raised $8.4 million in a Seed funding round to accelerate the launch of its flagship Skylight platform.
Skylight is a projection-based clinical guidance platform that gives doctors a “heads-up display” of a patient’s internal anatomy, shown directly on the body. No headsets, goggles, or external monitors required. The system enables millimeter-level accuracy for procedures ranging from spine surgery to cancer biopsies, helping doctors work more precisely and efficiently.
Wing 2 Wing Ventures led the investment round with participation from the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Aging, Elderberry Ventures, Soma Capital, and DRF.
“Surgery is one of the highest-stakes environments in the world, and even small mistakes can have life-changing consequences,” said Dr. James Hu, co-founder and co-CEO. “We built Skylight to help doctors avoid those errors, streamline every step, and operate with millimeter-level precision where it matters most.”
Originally developed for spine surgery, Skylight is built to adapt across a broad range of procedures where precision and speed are critical, such as cancer biopsy. Its flexible design allows seamless integration into different clinical workflows, removing barriers to adoption and accelerating impact in the operating room.
Digital health companies, including AI-powered clinical guidance technology startups, have secured more than $180 billion in funding to date, according to our recent 2026 Funding Database.
The funding activity is mainly driven by AI-driven digital health startups in 2026. Notable recent funding rounds include:
- Aidoc, a global leader in enterprise-scale clinical AI focused on helping physicians make earlier, safer diagnoses by turning raw patient signals into actionable insight, raised $150 million in a Series E funding round.
- Almanac Health, a provider of an AI-powered point of care evidence-based clinical decision support platform for healthcare providers, raised $10 million in Seed funding.
- SquareMind, a France-based robotics startup developing AI-powered dermatology solutions to make high-quality skin exams more efficient and accessible, raised $18 million in a pre-Series A funding round.