AI-powered retina scanning startup Mediwhale raises $9M
Summary
The Seoul-headquartered healthcare startup has built an AI-powered non-invasive retina scan to diagnose cardiac and kidney disorders and more diseases through its patients retinal photographs.Mediwhales first product is Reti-CVD, an AI-powered retinal diagnostic solution that assesses the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients. Mediwhales tech offers results in under a minute, according to Choi.Medical professionals typically use computerized cardiac tomography (CT) scans to predict CVD risk. Despite its accuracy, high-dose radiation exposure, a relatively high price and long wait times for final results are the drawbacks of a cardiac CT scan. Mediwhale claims its Reti-CVD precision matched cardiac CT scanning in predicting potential CVD risks, while avoiding radiation exposure entirely, and being accessible in primary care settings rather than in dedicated testing facilities.The startups primary targets are those who currently do not currently have cardiovascular disease but have the potential to develop CVD in the future, like diabetes and metabolic disease patients, Choi said. In other words, health insurance covers Reti-CVD as doctors in primary care and hospitals officially use it to treat patients in South Korea for the next two years; afterward, Mediwhale must submit additional clinical data to get a permanent code.