Ranked behind Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Cameron, Bertin Nahum is a French entrepreneur born on November 14, 1969, in Dakar. He is the president and founder of Medtech, a company that designs and markets the robotic medical technology ROSATM.

Bertin Nahum holds an engineering degree from the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) in Lyon and a Master of Science in Robotics from Coventry University (United Kingdom).

After his studies, he turned towards the field of medical engineering, holding various management positions in renowned companies specializing in surgical robotics. Through his field experiences, particularly in operating rooms and collaborations with eminent surgeons, Bertin Nahum decided to venture into the field of surgical robotics.

In 2002, after winning the National Competition for Assistance in the Creation of Innovative Technology Companies, organized by the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education, and Research, Bertin Nahum founded Medtech.

Based near Montpellier (Hérault), Medtech designs, develops, and markets robotic systems that assist in minimally invasive central nervous system surgery.

The first surgical robot developed by Medtech, BRIGIT™, was dedicated to knee surgery. In 2006, Zimmer Inc., a world leader in orthopedic surgery, acquired the entire BRIGIT™ patent portfolio.

Medtech then decided to reinvest these resources in developing a new robotic assistance technology. The first robot, ROSATM Brain, dedicated to neurosurgery, was thus designed.

His robot provides essential assistance to surgeons during delicate operations: “It’s like a GPS if you will. Thanks to this machine, the operator can accurately reach a specific area of the brain, and instead of performing the operation freehand, the robot’s arm will act. This can be very useful for placing an electrode or performing a tumor biopsy,” explains Nahum. Since 2009, ROSA has been involved in more than 600 surgical procedures.

The conditions treated using ROSATM Brain include epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, generalized dystonia, cavernoma, and hydrocephalus. Present in over thirty hospital sites across Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East, ROSATM Brain has been used in more than 1,800 operations.

In July 2014, Medtech obtained CE marking for its second robot, ROSATM Spine, expanding the company’s intervention scope to minimally invasive spinal surgery. This regulatory approval allows the commercialization of ROSATM Spine in Europe.

By the end of 2014, a first patient successfully underwent surgery using the ROSATM Spine robot at the Neurosurgery Department of the Amiens-Picardie University Hospital, to treat a degenerative spinal condition. This new minimally invasive surgical assistance robot is primarily intended for pedicle screw placement, with over one million such surgical procedures performed worldwide each year.

In just over twelve years of existence, Medtech has achieved global visibility. In addition to its headquarters in France, the company opened a subsidiary near New York in 2011, as well as in several European countries.

In November 2013, Medtech went public, raising 20 million euros on the regulated NYSE Euronext market in Paris, Compartment C.

In January 2016, Medtech obtained regulatory approval from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for the commercialization of ROSATM Spine in the vast North American market.

Awards and Recognitions

In September 2012, Bertin Nahum was ranked as the fourth most revolutionary high-tech entrepreneur in the world by a publication of the Canadian magazine Discovery Series, behind Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and James Cameron. According to Discovery Series, the entrepreneur had to be the bearer of an innovation that was both revolutionary and impactful on people’s lives.

A year later, in September 2013, Bertin Nahum received the insignia of Knight of the Legion of Honor, presented by Fleur Pellerin, Minister in charge of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

In November 2014, Bertin Nahum was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in Technology from Coventry University (United Kingdom), in recognition of his essential contribution to the medical profession and the improvement of surgical procedures through robotic technology.

He has received several other awards, including recognition from the regional jury of the Technology Fast 50 in the “Listed Company” category for his outstanding growth performance and the development of his innovative technology in the field of minimally invasive neurosurgery…

This text is an excerpt from the book “SECRETS OF THOSE WHO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS PROJECTS” written by Luc André GBELISSA.

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