About the Competition

Why Participate in the KS International Innovation Awards?

Technology is a piece of equipment, but left alone, it is not enough to benefit the health of people. It takes the minds of humans to apply its potential. The Vattikuti Foundation is boldly committed to the outcomes that can take place when in the hands of innovators and thoughtful specialists;  it has long invested resources to leverage new technology and training of surgeons to use it.   When combining the promotion of cutting-edge technology and surgeon education, the impact and evidence is proven.  We are proud of you who have innovatively used the tools of technology to help restore health and vitality for patients.

The KS International Innovation Awards is a global platform to showcase and promote the ongoing remarkable breakthroughs being made by the humans with the combination of human thought and instinct and the power of robotic technology and surgical data science.  

Who and What to be Submitted?

Surgeons who use robots for complex surgical procedures  with data showing improved patient outcomes and/or probability of becoming standard of care are strongly encouraged to submit.  The competition also welcomes new surgical innovations and use of new technology. Preference is given to case series with well-analyzed outcomes data high-quality animations and graphics to describe the content of submission.  Entries showing use of technology for telemedicine and training also desireable.

Submissions are comprised of the following elements:

1. 8-minute high-definition videos narrated in English depicting
2. Introduction and objectives
3. Methods
4. Results
5. Conclusions
6. 250-word abstract with summarization of purpose and findings
7. $25 submission fee per entry    

 What Steps Follow Submission?

Entrants are competing for cash prizes of over $50,000 and a People’s Choice Award.  Selection from the submissions are also eligible for consideration of presentation at the accompanying academic symposium, Vattikuti Innovation in Medicine Summit April 11-12, 2026.

All submissions to the competition are carefully considered for presentation at the symposium which provides rare multi-disciplinary discussion among a select group of accomplished peers for possible acceptance as new standards of patient care. Selections and invitations for presentation are highly competitive and made based on the subject matter and content to match agenda topics. 

Judging commences after the submission deadline of September 15, 2025.  The judges are practicing or retired surgeons of the respective fields.

Vattiktui Foundation is proud to host the awards ceremony for the KS International Innovation Awards.

Date: April 11, 2026

Location:   JW Marriott Marquis Miami, 255 Bicayne Boulevard Way, Miami, FL, 33131
Winners of cash prizes and awards will be announced live at the awards ceremony

KS International Innovation Awards Competition Overview

Overview

The KS International Innovation Awards features two tracks for the competition: one for innovative procedures and one for innovative use of new technologies pre-operatively, intra-operatively and post-operatively.

Both tracks demonstrate the use of innovation and technology to support surgical outcomes.

Surgeons and their teams are encouraged to prepare high-quality, digital submissions showcasing their most extraordinary surgical work employing the latest in technological advances.

While teams and individuals may submit more than one entry, each submission will have to be placed in either the "Robotic Procedure Innovation" or "Technological Innovation" track.

The Vattikuti Foundation reserves the right to recategorize entries.