Brainlab
German digital medical technology pioneer in image-guided surgery and radiotherapy
Wikipedia — BrainlabBrainlab is a privately held German medical technology company headquartered in Munich, Bavaria. Founded in 1989 by self-taught software programmer Stefan Vilsmeier—who established the company using proceeds from a bestselling book on 3D graphics he wrote at age 17—it is a global digital medical technology pioneer developing software and hardware that advance healthcare in surgery and radiotherapy.
The company develops solutions for radiotherapy and radiosurgery as well as the surgical fields of neurosurgery, ENT and craniomaxillofacial, spine surgery, and traumatic interventions. Its work focuses on image-guided surgery and radiosurgery, digital operating room integration, and cloud-based data sharing. Brainlab's product portfolio includes named systems and platforms such as Buzz and Buzz Virtual, Node, Kick and Kick EM, Curve, Loop-X, Cirq, Robotic Suite, Mixed Reality and Mixed Reality Viewer, Novalis, ExacTrac Dynamic and ExacTrac Dynamic Surface, and Elements.
Brainlab employs around 2,400 people across 25 locations globally and serves physicians, medical professionals and patients in over 6,700 hospitals across 127 countries. Reported revenue was approximately €429.2 million (2022/23). It remains privately held, led by founder and CEO Stefan Vilsmeier, with a board of managing directors including Rainer Birkenbach, Tobias Schalkhaußer, Florian Hoffmann, and Rudolf Kreitmair. Subsidiaries include medPhoton and Langer Medical, and the company has expanded through acquisitions such as Voyant Health (renamed Brainlab Israel), Level Ex, VisionTree, and Mint Medical, and founded the subsidiary Snke OS.
Given its focus on advanced software, hardware, mixed reality, robotics, and cloud-based data sharing in surgery and radiotherapy, innovation is central to Brainlab's positioning as a digital medical technology pioneer. Its Munich campus in Riem serves as global headquarters, housing leadership, R&D, manufacturing, and support, and notably incorporates the historic former control tower of Munich's old airport.