Bertin Nahum, the Franco-Beninese world specialist in medical robotics

By Mérième Alaoui

Bertin Nahum was awarded the Prix Galien USA 2022 in the medtech start-up category, last October in New York. The prize, considered the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research, was awarded for his Epione® robotic platform, dedicated to the curative and early treatment of abdominal cancers, particularly liver cancer. It’s a success story that is as much the pride of his adopted country, France, as it is of his country of origin, Benin, and of Africa in general. But above all, the founding chairman of Quantum Surgical, a company specializing in the development of medical and surgical robotics, is a passionate advocate of the power of the African diaspora in the development of the continent.

World’s fourth most revolutionary high-tech entrepreneur after Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and James Cameron

The Franco-Beninese makes no secret of his ambition to be a global leader. It’s no coincidence that the Canadian magazine Discovery Series named him the world’s fourth most revolutionary high-tech entrepreneur, after Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and James Cameron.  

Born in Senegal to Beninese parents, he grew up in France and studied at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) in Lyon. The young engineer went on to earn a Master of Science in Robotics from Coventry University in the UK.

He began his career with major surgical robotics groups: Computer Motion Inc, Integrated Surgical System Inc and IMMI SA. In 2002, he took the entrepreneurial plunge with his first medtech startup, which was acquired by the American group Zimmer Biomet for €164 million. In 2017, he founded Quantum Surgical, where he develops the latest world-renowned innovations.

I also feel Beninese. It’s the land of my parents, whom I lost when I was very young. So, I had to seek out and build this link of transmission, which is usually made by the parents

A global reach, but with an eye on Africa. « I only have one passport and it’s French. But I also feel Beninese because it’s the country of my parents, although I lost them when I was very young. So, I didn’t have the link of transmission that parents usually have. I had to go out and make it myself. My link with Africa, and Benin in particular, is simply an emotional one. The land of my parents, the origins of who I am. »

Bertin Nahum discovered Benin very late in life, but considers himself part of the African diaspora. « Yes, I’m aware that it’s important for a certain number of young and not-so-young people. I also have a responsibility not to close the door behind me. I don’t want to overplay my hand, but I also don’t want to be in some kind of denial. The term diaspora is the most appropriate because it encompasses different aspects and corresponds to different situations.

The African continent does not have all these barriers and consumer habits. It is therefore open to new technologies and innovative approaches

Unsurprisingly, the entrepreneur is regularly asked to speak or sit on juries in Africa. But so far it has been difficult to bring his innovations to Africa. « The cutting-edge technologies I’m developing are very expensive, and even in the West there are only a limited number of institutions involved. In Africa, there are few, if any, institutions with the level of equipment to accommodate them. » But the visionary continues to monitor and encourage local initiatives. « I am happy to give my opinion on juries or robotics competitions. There are a lot of African initiatives around e-health. They propose very practical applications in response to local problems. For example, helping patients, reminding them when they need treatment, sharing medical information, » he recalls.

As for the future of medtech in Africa, it can only be more prosperous. « It’s already been theorized that the African continent doesn’t have all these barriers and consumer habits. It is therefore open to new technologies and innovative approaches that are harder to adopt in the West. I don’t despair of one day being able to install one of my technologies.

Bertin Nahum believes that new technologies are becoming increasingly important, particularly in the healthcare sector. « Quite simply, because technology in the health sector helps to make things more reliable. Ultimately, its main aim is to make the procedure more reliable, to enable more patients to benefit from a high level of care, and to reduce what we call medical and surgical uncertainty. That’s why this major trend is set to develop and grow, and it’s almost irreversible.