Illuminant Surgical Raises $8.4M in Seed Funding

The company plans to use the funds to speed up the launch of its main Skylight platform.

Skylight™ is a projection-based clinical guidance platform that shows a patient’s internal anatomy directly on the body, like a “heads-up display.” It does not require headsets, goggles, or external screens. The system provides millimeter-level accuracy for procedures such as spine surgery and cancer biopsies, helping doctors work more precisely and efficiently.

The need is urgent, 1 in 5 spine surgeries needs a follow-up, 1 in 10 biopsies miss cancer and 1 in 2 pain treatments do not relieve symptoms. These issues cost the US healthcare system over $20 billion each year and also impact patients’ health and quality of life.

Originally designed for spine surgery, Skylight can be used across many procedures where accuracy, and speed are critical such as cancer biopsies. It's flexible design fits easily into existing clinical workflows, helping hospitals adopt it quickly and improve results in the operating room.

Skylight works by combining two key technologies: SkinMatch™, a non-invasive tracking system that uses adhesive markers and computer vision to align medical images with the patient’s body in real-time and LightScreen™, a projection system that displays important anatomical details directly on the patient’s skin while adjusting for movement and body shape. Together, these tools help doctors perform procedures faster and with greater accuracy without needing to shift attention between screens and the patient.

Illuminant is led by Stanford-trained founders with strong experience in medtech, computer vision, and hardware. Co-founder and co-CEO Eldrick Millares has built advanced sensing systems at startups and at Apple. In contrast, co-founder and co-CEO Dr. James Hu studied bioengineering at Stanford and earned his MD from UC Irvine, giving him both technical and clinical insight. Together, they have built a team of clinical experts, medtech professionals, and engineers to create a platform that operates smoothly in the operating room.

Read More:Blockworks Closes Series A, at $192M valuation

"Our mission from day one has been to build technology that doctors actually want to use and to deliver it in a way that makes adoption effortless," said Eldrick Millares, co founder and co CEO of Illuminant. "With Skylight, we are combining clinical impact with a business model that gets this into operating rooms quickly and sustainably."

"Illuminant is tackling one of the most persistent challenges in modern medicine with a solution that is both technically elegant, and clinically impactful, said Max Knapp Managing Director at Wing 2 Wing Ventures. "The teams ability to translate cutting edge research into a platform that fits seamlessly into clinical practice positions them to redefine the standard of care worldwide."

"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."

About Illuminant

Founded by Eldrick Millares, and James Hu, Illuminant is a company focused on improving how doctors see, and treat the human body. Its main product, Skylight™, projects real time anatomy directly onto patients, helping doctors work more accurately, improve outcomes, and streamline procedures. Backed by top investors and federal support Illuminant is working to set a new standard for precision in medical care.

Read More:PUMA appoints Mark Langer as CFO