A school endowment fund for startups makes its first investment in Explorer Surgical. : Anyone who saw Explorer Surgical pitch at the University of Chicago's startup competition, the New Venture Challenge, a couple years ago could tell that the team was onto something. Its aim: using tablets and software to make the operating room run smoother and bring surgical procedure checklists into the digital age.Now investors are getting onboard. Explorer raised $3 million, led by Aphelion Capital, a Bay Area venture fund focused on medical investments. Other investors include the University of Chicago, Elliott Management, M25 Group and HBS Angels.