In a nutshell: Paris-based startup Robeaut has secured nearly $28 million in venture capital funding to help bring its tiny surgery-assisting robot to operating rooms around the globe. The company, founded in 2017, has created a self-propelled microrobot that could assist neurosurgeons when operating on the human brain. Existing solutions often involve stiff, invasive tools that can cause major damage to sensitive brain tissue. Robeaut's bot, which is roughly the size of a grain of rice, is small and nimble enough to burrow its way deep into the brain without leaving a trail of destruction.The bot is designed to follow a set path laid out by a neurosurgeon, and can be tracked in real time. Robeaut initially plans to use its bots to collect tissue samples for biopsies. Later, the tech could be used to deliver targeted drugs to specific parts of the brain or implant electrodes to treat conditions like Parkinson's.Robeaut was founded by Bertrand Duplat and Joana Cartocci. Duplat, a veteran in the fields of robotics and computer science, had worked for decades on robots meant to operate in extreme environments like on the ocean floor and at radioactive sites. But when his mother was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, he shifted his focus.The idea really came out of the pain and frustration at the inability to reach any of these meaningful areas of the brain, Duplat said.The co-founder, who also serves as CEO, said it was no easy task to get to where they are today. Several advances in electronics, robotics, and microfrabrication were necessary to build the tiny bot. "It required multiple building blocks, and it took five years to get all these initial building blocks put together, working with different labs," he added. // Related StoriesThe team successfully trialed the technology in animal cadavers in late 2021 before moving to human cadavers and live animals. Robeaut hopes to start testing in humans as early as 2026, but must first gain approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.Cartocci told Fortune that neurosurgeons have been among their biggest supporters, adding that the medical community response was overwhelming. "They recognized the need for this solution and they recognized the intellectual challenge of trying to achieve it," Cartocci said.