An App Store for Surgery? This Founder is Making AI Surgery Robots

What happens when you bring Silicon Valley thinking into the operating room? In this episode of First in Human, host Dr. David Hindin sits down with Nick Damiano, co-founder and CEO of Andromeda Surgical, to explore how his team is building the world’s first autonomous surgical robot—a platform designed to make surgery safer, faster, and more precise.Nick shares his journey from pre-med at Stanford to med-tech founder, how the Stanford Biodesign process shaped his path, and why he believes the next revolution in health tech will come from AI-powered surgical systems. Together, they dive into what it really takes to turn a clinical insight into a startup, how to avoid confirmation bias when validating needs, and the practical realities of fundraising in med tech.You’ll hear how Andromeda is tackling complex procedures like HoLEP (holmium laser enucleation of the prostate), what “human-in-the-loop autonomy” means for surgeons, and why AI in healthcare isn’t about replacing clinicians—it’s about multiplying their impact.Whether you’re a founder, surgeon, engineer, or anyone just curious about the frontier of robotic surgery, this conversation offers a rare look at how cutting-edge technology, design thinking, and clinical insight come together to redefine what’s possible in the OR.