Mediwhale, the AI-empowered health diagnostics company that uses retina scans to diagnose future cardiac and kidney disorder risk quickly and easily, announced today it has been accepted into the 2023 cohort of StartX, an exclusive accelerator program affiliated with Stanford University and Stanford Healthcare. The program is currently underway and runs through April, and Mediwhale will continue to be an active StartX community member afterwards.
StartX is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs bring their innovative ideas to life by providing what they need to grow and succeed. The program offers a wide range of services and resources, including mentorship, educational workshops, access to investors, and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. StartX is a highly selective program, with a rigorous interview process. Mediwhale was selected based on its cutting-edge technology and business growth, even without a Stanford connection.
Mediwhale, based in South Korea, is no stranger to the U.S. market. The company is currently active in the HeartX health tech accelerator program in Arkansas, was an innovation honoree at CES and gave presentations at the ASN Kidney Week conference and the American Heart Association Scientific Session, all in 2022. Mediwhale's Reti-Intelligence technology that focuses on heart health (Reti-CVD) is in pre-application stages for FDA approval.
The Reti-Intelligence technology uses deep learning algorithms to holistically assess a patient's health using retinal images and can detect disease risks even before symptoms appear. Reti-Intelligence leverages non-invasive retinal scans through a common fundus camera combined with extensively trained algorithms to diagnose disease risks conveniently for both the patient and physician in under minute. The initial assessment by a family doctor can save patients both money and time, with wait times to see specialists often exceeding a month. Early detection is key in averting a potentially irreversible health problem.
The Mediwhale focus areas are cardiovascular (Reti-CVD), kidneys (Reti-CKD), eyes (Reti-Eye), and aging (Reti-Age). The accuracy and dependability of Reti-Intelligence has landed it approvals around Asia and Europe. Reti-Eye shows a minimum of 96% accuracy and Reti-CVD predicts cardiovascular risk as accurately as a cardiac CT.
"We are thrilled to be a part of this StartX community," said Kevin Choi, CEO of Mediwhale. "StartX is a recognized leader in the startup accelerator world and provides a unique combination of resources and networking opportunities. This will be an excellent opportunity for us to connect with other U.S. startups and also contribute to the exceptional StartX community."
The Program concludes with an in-person event in April and participants are given permanent access to a suite of services and tools, as well as the Silicon Valley-based StartX office space.