From Sydney to South Lake Union: VR startup Vantari brings its ‘health care flight simulator’ to Seattle
Vantari, a virtual reality startup that creates “flight simulator” software for doctors and nurses, has officially moved its headquarters to Seattle as it strengthens work with health systems and device manufacturers across North America.
CEO and founder Nishanth Krishnananthan moved from Australia to Seattle two years ago and recently officially established the company’s headquarters in the Emerald City.
Vantari’s inspiration came from his experience as a surgeon in Australia and seeing how poor training prepared doctors for real emergencies. He wondered why health professionals don’t use the same training techniques as the aviation industry.
Founded in 2017, Vantari now works with over 50 organizations in North America, Australia, and the UK. Clients include major medical institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and Mount Sinai, and the company has established new “centers of excellence” with Seattle University and the University of Washington’s department of anesthesiology.
Hospitals and universities use external Meta/Oculus headsets connected to laptops. Physicians log in, select their skills and procedure, and perform steps in a virtual environment displayed in college and best practice guidelines. The AI assistant inside the earphones guides users step-by-step, answers questions, and works with results, while managers can later review logged session data.
VR controls simulate the feeling of inserting catheters, drilling tissue, and repairing machines. Vital signs change dynamically in response to each action.
The company has a library of procedures, from anesthesia to critical care to cardiology. It also has a patented ultrasound system within VR that allows trainees to create images and guides as part of the procedure. Many cases are developed in collaboration with device manufacturers such as Boston Scientific, JNJ, and Sonosite.
Vantari’s business operates on a B2B SaaS model, offering annual licenses and hardware bundles. Vantari also signs contracts with medical device and pharmaceutical companies, which jointly develop modules locally and design physical versions of their devices. A third source of revenue comes from industry and licensing agencies that develop content.
To date, Vantari has raised nearly $7 million, mostly from Australian VCs, family offices and high-net-worth doctors. Last year it raised $2 million from Seattle-area backers SpringRock VC and Alliance of Angels.
Krishnananthan said the move to Seattle makes it easier to serve US clients and attract more capital from American investors. He also highlighted the power of local tech giants and medical institutions — including Amazon, Microsoft, Seattle University and the University of Washington — and nearby medical device firms.
The team is about 18 people, split about 50/50 between Australia and the US, with the majority of staff working remotely.
Looking ahead, Vantari wants to go beyond static content and is building an AI scenario builder that can allow hospitals to create their own policies and procedures on the platform. Krishnananthan’s long-term vision is to use the interaction data he collects to create what he calls “Google Maps of surgery,” providing live, mixed-reality guidance during actual procedures so doctors can get step-by-step support at the bedside, rather than just training in a headset.
“That’s like the big North Star I want to get to,” he said. “It’s becoming more accessible now with the advancements in technology that are happening.”
