Insider Brief
- Mediwhale has raised $12 million in Series A2 funding to expand its AI-powered health diagnostics, focusing on cardiovascular disease prevention through retina scans.
- The funding will help Mediwhale enhance AI algorithms, seek U.S. FDA approval for its Reti-CVD product, and develop tools for predicting chronic kidney disease.
- Mediwhale’s Reti-CVD provides a radiation-free, highly accurate cardiovascular risk assessment and is already in use across 57 medical institutions in Korea.
PRESS RELEASE — Mediwhale, the AI-powered health diagnostics company, announced $12 million series A2 investments. This funding leverages the momentum of their technological advancements and rapid adoption of its innovative biomarker for preventing cardiovascular disease in general hospitals and clinics.
The financing round was led by Korea Development Bank (KDB), with participation from Woori Venture Partners, IMM Investment, Mirae Asset Securities, and other investors. This investment involves both the issuance of new shares and secondary sales.
Mediwhale initially raised $2 million in Series Pre-A funding in 2021, followed by $9 million in Series A funding in 2023. The recent Series A2 investment of $12million further strengthens the company’s growth trajectory.
Mediwhale is setting a new standard of care for the early prevention of cardiovascular disease using AI-powered retina scans. The company’s flagship product, Reti-CVD, is an AI diagnostic solution that autonomously assesses future cardiovascular disease risk using an eye scan. It is a simple, radiation-free test that provides highly accurate results equivalent to the coronary artery calcium score derived from a cardiac CT scan in predicting cardiovascular risk. Since June 2023, Reti-CVD has been approved for private reimbursement in Korea and has been utilized in over 7,200 cases across 57 medical institutions as of August 2024.
With this new capital, Mediwhale will continue to enhance AI algorithms, achieve U.S. FDA approval for Reti-CVD, expand its global footprint, and develop new products to predict chronic kidney disease risk.
“Mediwhale is the first company in the world to develop and commercialize medical AI that can predict cardiovascular disease risk through a simple eye exam. The company demonstrates significant differentiation in both business performance and technological innovation. We have decided to invest actively, confident that Mediwhale will make history in AI-driven prediction of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases both domestically and globally,” said Korea Development Bank.
Kevin Choi, CEO of Mediwhale, added, “I believe that our successful fundraising, even in a frozen capital market, is largely due to our excellent technology. With our pioneering technology, developed and commercialized as a world first, we aim to lead the global market in cardiovascular and metabolic disease management. We are determined to secure FDA De Novo approval by 2025, with plans to launch our product in the United States shortly thereafter. Additionally, to maintain a competitive edge, we will significantly enhance our AI performance and expand our product pipeline to include chronic kidney disease prediction.”
About Mediwhale
Mediwhale is the AI-powered health diagnostics company that uses non-invasive retina scans to help prevent heart and kidney diseases. Mediwhale’s solution uses deep learning algorithms to detect future disease risks even before symptoms appear. Mediwhale has been dedicated to making preventative care more affordable, accessible, safe, and convenient since being founded in 2016 in South Korea.
