Is Nvidia Blunting Intuitive Surgical's Edge in Robotic Surgery?
Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) has the clear lead in robotic-assisted surgery. The company got approval for its da Vinci surgery system back in 2000. With more than two decades of research, development, and real-world use under its belt, competitors have an uphill battle if they want to catch up with Intuitive's technology.
That is unless Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) provides some help. The chip designer and AI specialist revealed during its GPU Technology Conference (GTC) this week that many start-ups are tapping into its platform to accelerate development of their robotic surgery systems. Did Nvidia just deal a serious blow to Intuitive Surgical's ability to stay in the lead?
Successful technology always attracts competitors, especially when it's lucrative. Intuitive Surgical has built an empire that hauled in $6 billion in revenue over the 12 months ended in June. It also generates operating profit margins in the high 20% to low 30% range.
Source Fool.com
