Interview Transcript

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How would you describe the change in market positioning between the time you joined and the start of this latest decade?

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Looking back, I don't think 3D Systems did a good job for Simbionix. Simbionix was always an outsider for 3D Systems, and the link between the two companies wasn't strong enough. The vision was never clear, and Simbionix ended up running independently without the right financial support, team building, and strategy. So it was hard to grow. This changed when Surgical Science came into the play.

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How do these simulators get sold to these different types of customers? How different is the selling process and the work that Simbionix needs to do upfront?

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On the hospital side, the model involves buying the platform for a basic price and then choosing from a menu of different software or modules, based on specific needs and who is going to use them. On the industry side, it's usually a fixed price for development costs, covering the development and then buying the hardware and specific software for the company anywhere in the world. These big companies are spread over different geographies and segments, so each one is in charge of their own budget, including training budgets. For example, once you have a customized module for a customer in Japan, the US team, China group, German group, and others can buy it.

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Who would you say were Simbionix's main competitors before the acquisition by Surgical Science?

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It depends on the product, as they had a wide portfolio. Each product had its own competitors. If you zoom out a little bit and look at companies capable of providing a full portfolio for large accounts or new centers, it varies from one simulator to another. Major competitors included Mimic for robotics, Mentice for cardiovascular, CAE and Intelligent Ultrasound for ultrasound, and Surgical Science for laparoscopy. There was also a European company for arthroscopy.

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