From a console, surgeons control robotic arms that operate through a few fingertip-sized incisions on the patient’s body. At the same time, the medical team monitors the procedure through a vision cart displaying enlarged, high-definition views of the operative area. The system supports multiple specialities, including complex thoracic and hepato-biliary-pancreatic surgeries.

The company’s Co-Founder & Vice President of Operation and Business Strategy, Alexis Cheng, says the approach makes procedures less invasive and recovery faster, while also easing physical strain for surgeons and enhancing precision. “Technology should serve people,” he says. “Hospitals gain by using these systems to train and upskill surgical teams, while society as a whole benefits from more balanced and accessible, high-quality surgical care.”

Approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration in 2024, the system has already been used in more than 500 operations. The company is collaborating with institutions in Singapore and conducting clinical trials in the UK.

“Cornerstone Robotics is charting its own path, competing with established industry players using the resources and talent available in Hong Kong. This is highly commendable,” says Christina Ong, Managing Director, Head of Business Banking, Commercial Banking at HSBC Hong Kong. She emphasises the importance of supporting smaller businesses and startups, which are vital to driving innovation and economic growth in the region.

Through our Business Banking division, HSBC offers tailored support for startups, ranging from basic banking services to customers financing solutions and beyond-banking offerings. Leveraging its extensive connections and market expertise, the bank supports businesses as they grow and expand.

Alexis, who was recognised as a Tatler Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow in 2025, says the bank’s global network has been especially valuable, connecting him with potential partners like healthcare providers – relationships he believes he could not have built on his own.

Christina explains that keeping medical professionals from different institutions involved throughout Cornerstone Robotics’s Research & Development process is essential, especially given the long, highly regulated journey involved in bringing a healthtech product to market. Hong Kong offers advantages as a base, she adds, thanks to its position as an international financial centre, medical excellence and proximity to Mainland China, “a leader in both manufacturing and innovation.”

Before building his company, Alexis worked primarily in academia, but hands-on experience in robotics gave him a new mission: “Bringing real clinical value to everyday practice and improving healthcare quality.” His long-term goal is to build an advanced robotic-assisted surgical ecosystem that serves more specialities and can be more widely adopted by hospitals.

Christina says Alexis’s determination stands out. “True innovation combines a founder’s core idea with the mindset and leadership needed to overcome every obstacle,” she says. Founders like Alexis, she adds, reinforce her optimism. “By giving them the right support, we’re investing in the future of innovation and helping shape the next chapter of progress for Hong Kong and beyond.”