Asvel – Advancing smart endoscopy from the operating room to the battlefield

When the Defence Business Lab accelerator wrapped up its pilot year, one team stood out among Estonia’s emerging deeptech innovators – Asvel, the winner of the Defence Business Lab’s demo day pitch competition. Their groundbreaking autonomous robotic system, which is capable of automatically controlling an endoscope camera during minimally invasive surgery, impressed the jury and audience alike. The innovation promises to increase surgical precision, reduce surgeons’ workload, and expand the potential of medical robotics in both civilian and defence settings. 

“The Defence Business Lab gave us, in addition to highly valuable workshops, several important contacts – including with partners in Ukraine – to explore how to further develop our medical device in light of the rapidly changing conditions of war,” said Andres Šavel, orthopaedic surgeon and member of the Asvel team. “Thanks to the accelerator, we gained confirmation that in wartime conditions, it remains crucial to have a cost-efficient and resilient medical system. We hope to make a significant contribution to improving treatment outcomes for the wounded – with even fewer personnel required – through our robotic endoscope used in minimally invasive surgery.” 

Since their time in the accelerator, Asvel has evolved from a promising concept to a recognized player on the European deeptech scene. The company’s dual-use Smart Endoscope system is designed to serve both civilian healthcare and military medical needs, aligning with Europe’s growing focus on dual-use technologies. 

According to founder and CTO Ritesh Soni, the main challenge ahead is securing strategic funding and partnerships to move from prototype to large-scale manufacturing and clinical validation. “Balancing the product’s civilian and defence applications while ensuring scalability and certification remains a key focus,” he explains. 

The Defence Business Lab helped Asvel refine its strategy toward dual-use commercialization, starting with surgical training, veterinary, and defence applications before expanding into hospitals and broader clinical markets. “The program helped us build clear communication between R&D, business development, and regulatory planning – our team became more agile and outcome-oriented,” Soni adds. 

Asvel’s progress has been remarkable since the accelerator: 

• Winner of the Defence Business Lab Demo Day Pitch Competition, earning a showcase slot at Defence Innovation Day 2025 in Tallinn 
• Top 40 startup at Startup Fair 2025 in Vilnius 
• Top 10 team at InterSystems x Sclr Labs HealthTech Pitch Night in London 
• Winner in the “Deep Tech CEE Rising Stars” category at the Deep Tech CEE Summit 2025 in Warsaw 
• Accepted into the Rubik Garage Accelerator – Future of HealthTech in Romania 
• Advanced to the second stage of the AI Accelerator by Tehnopol in Tallinn 

These achievements signal growing international recognition for Asvel’s AI-driven medical robotics innovation. Looking ahead, the company’s ambitions are bold. “In five years, we aim to be a leading European medtech innovator, delivering AI-powered smart endoscopy systems that transform surgical care, improve field medicine, and contribute to next-generation defence healthcare,” Soni says. 

Today, Asvel is seeking strategic investors, clinical partners, and regulatory guidance to accelerate CE certification and prototype industrialization. With its roots in Estonia’s thriving defence innovation ecosystem and a clear path toward commercialization, Asvel stands poised to redefine the future of robotic surgery and defence healthcare – one smart endoscope at a time. 

The Defence Business Lab accelerator is implemented by the Tehnopol Startup Incubator and Sparkup Tartu Science Park. The program is funded by the Ministry of Defence and supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.