Today, February 12, Johnson & Johnson revealed that they were purchasing the surgical-robotics company Auris Health for nearly $3.4 billion. Over the past several years, Auris, a Silicon-Valley darling, gained renown for a controller-operated robotic camera that enabled to garner visual from inside the body around areas that they would typically be unable to reach.
Recently, Auris had attracted investors who poured nearly $700 million into the company, and it was last valued at $2.1 billion. Auris had recently hit several development milestones that indicated they were valued far more, and Johnson & Johnson ’s acquisition is indicative of this. Johnson & Johnson’s purchase of this company at a heightened price may insinuate that they are incredibly interested in the technology that Auris was developing and did not want to risk any competitors swooping in and stealing this deal.
Johnson & Johnson maintains a storied history of purchasing startups and then using their technology to release innovations in the medical field, and Auris is sure to continue this trend.
