Joana Cartocci
Founder & COO at Robeauté
10 Jun 2026Live from Cherry Ventures Summit
Joana Cartocci (Robeaute): Micro-Robots for Brain Surgery
Joana Cartocci, co-founder and COO of Robeaute, describes the company's 1.8mm, rice-grain-sized steerable micro-robot for neurosurgery, founded after her roboticist co-founder lost his mother to glioblastoma. She explains the modular design with interchangeable tools (biopsy, drug delivery, electrodes), how it acts as the 'last mile' delivery system for precision interventions, and the nine-year engineering journey. She walks through acute and chronic animal studies, the upcoming GLP studies and FDA/EMA submissions, why spatial biopsy is the first indication, and the goal of keeping the platform agnostic across brain diseases.
Adam Lasri (Yellow): Pre-Seed Investing & Portfolio Updates
Adam Lasri of Yellow gives an update on the pre-seed fund after two and a half years: 25+ teams backed, more than a third already raising next rounds. He explains what makes pre-seed investing special — being the first check, delivering on promises, and providing operational and commercial support like first enterprise intros — and how sourcing works through LinkedIn, VC referrals, and founder goodwill in Paris, Zurich, Barcelona and London. He highlights portfolio stories including Wortsmith (legal AI, approaching a ~$70M Series B) and Davis (48-hour feasibility reports for real estate developers), and reflects on moving from a large fund to founding his own.