Vitestro raises $70 million to expand development of robotic blood-drawing technology
Tiffanie Lebel
Share:
Medical robotics company Vitestro has secured $70 million in a Series B funding round to advance its autonomous blood-collection technology and move closer to large-scale commercialization. The financing, announced in Utrecht, drew strong interest from healthcare investors and industry partners. The company plans to use the capital to refine its robotic phlebotomy system, expand manufacturing capabilities, and pursue regulatory approval in the United States while strengthening its presence in European healthcare markets, according to PR Newswire.
Series b to support next phase of growth
Vitestro said the latest investment round exceeded its original target, reflecting significant investor interest in medical automation. A range of healthcare organizations and venture capital firms participated, including several strategic investors from the clinical and diagnostics sectors.
The company intends to allocate the newly raised funds toward further development of its flagship robotic blood-collection platform. Resources will also be directed to scaling production capacity and building the operational infrastructure needed for broader commercial deployment.
In addition to product development, Vitestro plans to expand clinical collaborations with hospitals and healthcare institutions. These partnerships will help the company gather additional data on the system’s performance in real-world medical environments while preparing for wider adoption.
Executives at the company noted that the financing represents a major step toward transforming the technology from a research-driven innovation into a commercially available solution for hospitals and laboratories. The investment will also support efforts to integrate the device more efficiently into routine healthcare workflows.
Healthcare automation aimed at modernizing blood collection
Vitestro’s core technology focuses on automating venous blood collection, one of the most frequently performed medical procedures worldwide. The company’s system, known as the Aletta Autonomous Robotic Phlebotomy Device, combines robotics, imaging technology, and artificial intelligence to perform blood draws with limited human intervention.
The platform uses advanced imaging to locate veins and determine the most suitable insertion point. A robotic mechanism then guides the needle during the procedure, aiming to achieve consistent and accurate blood collection while reducing the variability sometimes associated with manual techniques.
According to the company, billions of diagnostic blood tests are conducted globally each year, making phlebotomy a routine yet essential part of healthcare delivery. Because the procedure is performed so frequently, even small improvements in efficiency or reliability could have meaningful effects on clinical operations.
Healthcare providers have increasingly explored automation technologies to help address workforce shortages and rising patient demand. Automated blood-collection systems could allow clinical staff to focus on other aspects of patient care while maintaining high volumes of diagnostic testing.
Vitestro has already conducted clinical evaluations of its system and reports that the device has been used with thousands of patients during testing and pilot programs. These trials are designed to assess safety, performance, and patient acceptance before the technology is introduced more widely.
The company is also preparing to seek regulatory clearance in the United States through the Food and Drug Administration’s De Novo pathway, a process intended for innovative medical technologies that do not yet fit into an existing regulatory classification.
Vitestro: Building an Automated Phlebotomy Platform
Vitestro was founded in the Netherlands with the goal of applying robotics and artificial intelligence to routine medical procedures. Its development efforts have centered on creating a system capable of performing venipuncture through a largely automated process.
The Aletta device has already received CE marking in the European Union, allowing it to be used in clinical settings within the region. In practice, the technology is designed to operate under the supervision of trained healthcare professionals rather than fully replacing clinical staff.
Over the past several years, the company has collaborated with hospitals and research partners to refine the technology and collect evidence supporting its safety and reliability. These studies have helped demonstrate how robotic systems could be integrated into existing diagnostic and laboratory workflows.
The development of automated phlebotomy tools comes at a time when healthcare systems are increasingly evaluating digital and robotic solutions to improve efficiency in routine clinical tasks.
Vitestro’s $70 million Series B funding round highlights growing interest in technologies that automate common healthcare procedures. By focusing on robotic blood collection, the company aims to modernize a process that is performed billions of times each year.
The new investment will allow Vitestro to continue refining its technology, expand clinical partnerships, and work toward regulatory approval in additional markets. If successful, autonomous phlebotomy systems could become a new component of diagnostic testing infrastructure in hospitals and laboratories worldwide.
