Mendaera, a healthcare technology company developing robotics and intelligence for procedural medicine, and Butterfly Network, known for its work in semiconductor-based ultrasound, cloud software, and AI, have announced that Mendaera's Focalist system is now commercially available with Butterfly Network's Ultrasound-on-Chip imaging technology.
Mendaera's FDA-cleared Focalist system combines handheld robotics, real-time imaging, and intelligent guidance software to support precision, confidence, and consistency during image-guided needle procedures, including vascular access, regional nerve blocks, and organ access.
Josh DeFonzo, co-founder and CEO of Mendaera, said ultrasound is fundamental to how Focalist sees and guides a procedure, and that Butterfly offers a uniquely digital, software-programmable imaging platform to build on. He said bringing Butterfly into Mendaera's commercial platform expands access to precise, image-guided intervention today, while Butterfly's software-defined architecture opens a path toward AI-enabled image interpretation and robotic action down the line.
Butterfly and Mendaera first announced their collaboration through the Butterfly Embedded program, bringing together complementary imaging and robotics technologies with a shared goal of advancing digitally native, AI-enabled medical intervention.
Joseph DeVivo, president, CEO, and chairman of Butterfly Network, said Mendaera is tackling a real problem in healthcare by building a platform designed to expand access to procedural imaging while reducing reliance on a limited pool of highly specialized expertise. He said Butterfly is proud that this milestone not only extends the company's broader commitment to making medical imaging more widely accessible, but also marks the first Butterfly Embedded partner to reach commercialization, demonstrating what Ultrasound-on-Chip can enable beyond traditional ultrasound.
Dr. Jacob Hutchins, an anesthesiologist in Minneapolis, said one of Focalist's strengths is the precision and control it gives him consistently across different procedures and clinical settings, and that expanding the ultrasound options available with the system makes the platform even more adaptable across different medical specialties and use cases.
Mendaera and Butterfly will both be exhibiting at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP26) Scientific Assembly, taking place October 5-7, 2026, in Chicago.
