Netherlands medical-imaging AI startup attracts $2.5M funding boost

A European AI startup that has so far focused on deep-learning detection of lung cancers on imaging has raised around $2.5 million (2.25 million euros) in seed-round funding to refine its product and bring it to market.

Aidence, based in Amsterdam, expects its first CE marking for the European market in the third quarter of this year, according to a press release.

The company says it is currently working to adapt its software to identify other pathologies on chest CT as well as MR imaging of joints and the brain. It also plans applications for triage and workflow optimization, screening programs and routine clinical practice.

“Our ultimate goal is to reach a level of diagnostic accuracy that matches the collective knowledge of all human experts—and then bring it to every hospital in the world,” says CEO Mark-Jan Harte.

The $2.5 million lift comes from a group of investors that includes Northzone, HenQ, Health Innovations and physicians from the Hague-based Haaglanden hospital group.

Aidence took third place in the 2017 Kaggle Data Science Bowl, a $1 million global contest to build software to predict lung cancer based on a single chest CT scan.

Dave Pearson

Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.

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