Precision OS is a provider of virtual reality (VR) orthopedic surgical education and pre-operative planning software based in Vancouver, Canada. This software allows for surgeons and trainees to practice simulated medical procedures by providing an immersive and realistic form of deliberate surgical practice that offers critical surgical metrics with haptic feedback.
Very recently, the company secured $2.3 million in Series A funding that was led by Swiss investment fund AO Invest, and several other undisclosed investors. Precision OS has been nominated for the Technology Impact Awards, was a semi-finalist at the Orthopedic Research Society, and has been recognized by leading organizations in orthopedic education and competency.
The company was co-founded by game and software professionals Colin O’Connor (CTO) and Roberto Oliveira (CCO), and by practicing orthopedic surgeon Dr. Danny P. Goel (CEO). Dr. Goel is a consultant shoulder surgeon and clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia, Department of Orthopedic Surgery. We are excited to feature an exclusive interview with Dr. Goel.
Alice Ferng, Medgadget: Thank you for joining us for an interview! Can you please tell me about your background and what motivated you to go into medicine/ortho surgery?
Dr. Danny Goel, CEO of Precision OS: I’m originally from Winnipeg (a city in Manitoba, Canada) where I grew up in a household of 4 siblings. We all worked in my dad’s furniture business and had odd jobs during the summer. Painting houses, delivering furniture, newspapers or at the local grocery store. We were taught the value of responsibility and hard work in our formative years. My siblings and I held many jobs, had to relate to people and learned several different skills while in high school and university.
A part of me always wanted to go into medicine mostly because I was intrigued by the unknown. It really became solidified for me when I began my Masters in Science degree. I was working with cardiac cells and manipulating them with omega fatty acids and noticed how the physiology could be altered. Once I began applying to medical school, even though it was challenging to get in, persistence paid off and I was accepted. While in medical school, I was fascinated by all the different sub-specialities from pediatrics to psychiatry. My decision was impacted by mentors in the field where decision-based outcomes was really impressed upon me.
Medgadget: What inspired you to found Precision OS?
Dr. Goel: The idea in my mind originally began as an iPhone app. I approached a friend (Rob, a co-founder) about how I thought we could train physicians to make decisions for patients and streamline their care. He introduced me to Colin (our third co-founder) who was diving deep into VR. We combined the technology with the idea and Precision OS was born. This was in March 2017, so we are just over a year and a half into our journey.
Medgadget: Tell me about your team and how PrecisionOS started- did people already know each other?
Dr. Goel: Rob and I have our spouses to thank for us meeting – while at gymnastics with our children, our wives became friends. As Rob and I got to know each other, we discussed his extensive background in game development and I revealed how I enjoyed teaching the residents and fellows surgical skill. We also discussed how accessing health care can be challenging in Canada and ways technology may help improve this. This led Rob to introduce me to Colin. They are both from game development and have known each other for 20 + years. Subsequently, Precision OS was born.
Medgadget: How old is the company, and what partnerships do you have? What types of support and funds have been raised thus far?
Dr. Goel: We officially became incorporated in May 2017. We went through 6 iterations of a prototype to get to our current product. When we finally concluded what we were building and how we were going to create content, the story got very interesting as did the appeal to a larger audience. Since refining our trajectory, we have been able to secure Canadian governmental funding for a preoperative tool we are building, selective angel investors and the largest Orthopedic educational organization in the world, known as the AO. This organization teaches over 800 courses worldwide with one incentive, to improve the quality and delivery of orthopedic surgical care globally. We share this vision and what we bring to the creation of our content. We recently closed a USD $2.3M investment from the AO and undisclosed investors.
