San Francisco Tech Firm Won Fast Company Award
Veyond Metaverse took home a Next Big Things in Tech award for its remote surgery telepresence platform.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Healthcare
Live Poll
Would you trust a remote physician using XR technology to guide a procedure in your area?
A San Francisco-based developer has been recognized for its work in making surgical expertise accessible to remote maritime environments. Fast Company named Veyond Metaverse a winner on its 2026 Next Big Things in Tech list for the company's OceanMD platform.
Why it matters
For the 2.57 million seafarers working on 85,000 merchant ships, expert medical assistance can often be days away. This technology aims to bridge that gap by using extended reality to bring surgical guidance directly to isolated sites.
The OceanMD platform supports a global population of 2.57 million seafarers across 85,000 merchant ships. The technology has been demonstrated in remote surgeries at distances reaching 13,600 kilometers, with further pilot deployments currently in preparation.
The players
Veyond Metaverse
A San Francisco-based technology company that develops extended reality platforms for remote medical and surgical support.
Fast Company
A business media organization that publishes annual rankings of emerging technology and innovation.
Thierry Flam
A professor who has utilized Veyond Metaverse technology to provide remote surgical guidance from locations including Paris and New York.
The details
The OceanMD system allows a medic at a remote site to wear an XR headset, which transmits a live feed to a remote physician. The physician then appears as an avatar in the medic's view and uses interactive 3D models to guide procedures in real time over satellite or 4G/5G networks. Veyond Metaverse holds U.S. Patent No. 12,400,408 for these developments. The company is currently preparing the platform for pilot deployments with a global medical assistance provider.
Timeline
2023: Prof. Dr. Thierry Flam provided remote surgery guidance from Paris.
2024: Prof. Flam guided a surgery from New York at a distance of 13,600 kilometers.
2025: Veyond Connect won Gold at the Digital Health Awards.
October 06, 2026: Fast Company officially announced the Next Big Things in Tech award winners.
Across the Bay
This latest accolade follows the momentum established by the 2025 Digital Health Awards, where the company's Veyond Connect tool earned Gold in the Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring category. The recognition underscores a trend of local firms securing major honors for remote diagnostic tech.
While the technology is designed for ships and remote sites, local medical partners may soon see expanded capabilities as the company moves toward pilot deployments. Residents tracking local tech sector growth can watch for future updates on these pilot programs via the company website.
The takeaway
Advancements in extended reality are effectively shrinking the distance between specialized surgeons and remote, isolated patients. Follow the company's development pipeline to see how these maritime-focused tools eventually influence local telepresence medical standards.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in the regional medical sector by visiting Healthcare.
More information
To see the platform in action, you can request a technology demonstration on the company website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Manila times.
Live Poll
Would you trust a remote physician using XR technology to guide a procedure in your area?
