Enovis signed a binding offer on September 1, 2026 to acquire eCential Robotics for 155 million euros, about $180 million, with up to 35 million euros more tied to milestones. The companies expect to close at the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
eCential Robotics, founded in 2009 in Grenoble, sells the Op.n platform: 2D and 3D imaging, navigation and robotic guidance in one system, open to third-party implants and applications. FDA cleared its spine navigation and robotic assistance device under K233228 in June 2024 and Op.n Navigation under K242914 in March 2025. The company logged a second-generation 510(k) clearance on August 31, 2026, one day before the Enovis offer became public.
Enovis CEO Damien McDonald said the company will bring a next-generation robot to market within two years, starting in the knee and following in the shoulder, with a robotic arm carrying seven degrees of freedom. The two companies plan a robotics center of excellence in Grenoble.
The seller had already been inside a strategic's orbit: eCential co-developed the Velys Spine system with DePuy Synthes, which FDA cleared in 2024. Buying the platform outright is the cheaper way for Enovis to get a robot it does not have to build, and the clearance the day before the offer became public is what made the price defensible.