Illuminant Surgical

Market position

Illuminant Surgical positions Skylight against traditional surgical navigation systems, which it characterizes as costly, space-intensive, slow to set up and largely restricted to large medical centers, and instead targets broad applicability across procedure settings and specialties.

Direct projection of anatomical imaging onto the patient instead of screen-based navigation; SkinMatch non-invasive patient registration; setup measured in minutes rather than the 30-plus minutes the company attributes to conventional systems; a compact form factor intended for smaller facilities; and a stated one-day training requirement.

Technology

Skylight combines artificial intelligence, computer vision, and dynamic projection mapping to overlay imaging onto the patient in real time, aiming to merge digital guidance with the physical operative field. A registration technology branded SkinMatch aligns imaging to the patient. The company emphasizes a compact hardware footprint that fits into standard procedure rooms and a non-invasive setup process completed in minutes, in contrast to navigation systems requiring invasive patient preparation and longer setup.

Go-to-market

The company markets through its website with a demo booking request, and builds visibility through medtech and technical community channels, including LSI newsletter and magazine features, a presentation at NVIDIA GTC 2026, and company-led workshops on graphics in medicine at SIGGRAPH.

Physicians performing image-guided procedures, including spine surgeons and interventionalists in pain management and interventional radiology, across care settings that range from university hospitals to ambulatory surgical centers and private specialty clinics.

Geography

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, at 2440 S Sepulveda Blvd, Ste 125, with company events held in Los Angeles.

History

The company is led by Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Eldrick Millares and Dr. James Hu. It has assembled a board of advisors spanning clinical, engineering, and business domains, including spine surgeons Jeffrey Wang, MD (President, AO Foundation; Co-Director of the USC Spine Center) and John Liu, MD (Professor of Neurological Surgery; Co-Director of the USC Spine Center); engineering advisors Ross Venook, PhD (Engineering Director, Stanford Biodesign) and Christoph Leuze, PhD (Executive Director, Stanford Medical Mixed Reality Lab); and business advisors Joe Kiani (CEO, Willow Labs; founder of Masimo), Brad Smith (President, Marshall University; former CEO of Intuit), Shyam Natarajan, PhD (CEO, Avenda Health), and Brian Hess, MBA (CEO, RevBio; former Stryker Ortho director). Company milestones through 2026 include LSI features, a presentation at NVIDIA GTC, an $8.4M seed round, a new Los Angeles headquarters, and SIGGRAPH workshops.

Risks & controversies

The Skylight Surgical Navigation System has not been approved or cleared by the FDA and is not available for sale or commercial use; the company states that no claims are made regarding the device's safety or effectiveness and that website information reflects current development stage and intended capabilities. The company also publishes a financial conflict of interest (FCOI) policy.