Swiss Ikerian AG partner with Sanoptis Inc to market AI-image analysis
Swiss Ikerian AG's US-subsidiary, RetinAI U.S. Inc. has announced the first close of an CHF6.73m Series B financing with new and existing investors to advance its AI-based image analysis platform alongside a strategic partnership.
The Series B funding was led by strategic investor Sanoptis. Existing investors the THINC Ventures arm of Topcon Healthcare, Inc., Zürcher Kantonalbank and Verve Ventures participated. Sanoptis operates in more than 420 clinic locations across Europe, and is the leading European ophthalmology provider network that invests in solutions for patients with eye diseases.
As part of the financing, is accelerating the development of Discovery CONNECT™ (‘CONNECT’), a customized software solution to automate, anonymize and synchronize imaging data uploads within clinical workflows and networks. Data connectivity supported by CONNECT plays a critical role in modern healthcare to ensure sensitive health information is securely transferred minimizing manual effort, protecting patient privacy through advanced anonymization techniques and ensuring critical information is always available for clinical decision making, real world evidence generation and optimized clinical study recruitment processes. Discovery CONNECT will be deployed in Q1’2025.
Alongside the equity investment by Sanoptis, Ikerian AG, its subsidiary, RetinAI U.S. Inc and Sanoptis have entered into a commercial agreement to support the distribution of the RetinAI Discovery® platform and its AI models at-scale within the European Sanoptis network. The AI and imaging platform is aimed at improving diagnostic and treatment pathways towards personalized patient care. Some Sanoptis clinics have implemented the platform at the start of Q4 2024.
Ikerian will also utilise the proceeds to expand its capabilities in real-world evidence (RWE) and support advanced clinical insights on patient outcomes. Additionally, the company will integrate AI-driven patient pre-screening technology to accelerate the pace of clinical studies. In addition, this investment will enable Ikerian to broaden its focus into new therapeutic areas and oculomics, including neurodegenerative disorders, vascular conditions, and rare diseases.
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