Horizon Surgical Systems

Horizon Surgical Systems is a pre-revenue, private medical device company founded in 2018 and based in Fremont, California, with additional offices in Malibu and Santa Monica. The company is developing the Polaris™ platform, an investigational robotic-assisted surgical system for cataract surgery that combines microsurgical robotics, real-time 3D imaging/guidance, and machine learning. With leadership combining clinical (CEO Jean-Pierre Hubschman, MD) and engineering (CTO Jacob Rosen, PhD) expertise, and backing from a seasoned board, Horizon aims to address the growing demand for cataract surgery by improving consistency and accessibility. The technology is currently in the investigational stage, not yet FDA-approved, and has progressed from extensive preclinical testing into human studies.

Polaris™: An advanced, assistive surgical robotics platform integrating microsurgical robotics, real-time 3D imaging/guidance, and machine learning intelligence, designed for ophthalmic procedures starting with cataract surgery.

Horizon is pioneering a new category of dedicated ophthalmic microsurgical robotics. It faces indirect competition from advanced phacoemulsification systems from companies like Alcon and Johnson & Johnson Vision, and potential future competition from general surgical robotics giants (e.g., Intuitive Surgical, Medtronic, J&J) if they develop ophthalmic applications. Its success hinges on proving clear clinical and economic advantages over the highly refined manual standard of care.