Holoeyes

Holoeyes Inc., founded in October 2016, is a Tokyo-based company operating at the intersection of healthcare and technology, specializing in medical virtual reality (VR) software. The company was established through the collaboration of Naoji Taniguchi, an application developer with a background in 3D programming and game development, and Dr. Maki Sugimoto, a practicing surgeon specializing in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery with extensive experience in medical image analysis and advanced technology research. Taniguchi's journey began after a friend in publishing asked him to create a digital service from medical books, which led him to research medical information and discover Dr. Sugimoto's work. This partnership combines deep technical expertise with critical clinical insight, forming the foundation of the company's offerings.

The core of Holoeyes' business is a software platform that transforms two-dimensional medical scans, such as CT and MRI data, into detailed, interactive 3D anatomical models. This service addresses the fundamental problem of surgeons interpreting 3D human anatomy from 2D screens. The platform allows medical professionals to upload patient-specific imaging data, which is then processed by a cloud-based service to generate VR-compatible models, a process that can take as little as ten minutes. These models can be viewed and manipulated using VR headsets like the HTC Vive or mixed reality (MR) devices such as Microsoft HoloLens, enabling surgeons to visualize patient anatomy, plan complex procedures, and collaborate with their teams more effectively.

Holoeyes primarily serves medical institutions, including surgeons, medical students, and residents. Its products are used for preoperative surgical planning, intraoperative guidance, medical education and training, and improving patient communication. The flagship product, "Holoeyes MD," is a certified medical device in Japan, allowing its use in clinical settings for surgical simulations. The company also offers "Holoeyes Edu," a platform designed for medical education that allows students to learn anatomy and surgical procedures via smartphones and basic VR goggles, and "Holoeyes VS" for remote, multi-user conferences in a shared virtual space. The business model is structured around providing these VR solutions to hospitals and potentially building a searchable database of anonymized 3D medical images for research and training, akin to a "GitHub for surgery". Holoeyes has secured approximately $8.01 million in funding through multiple rounds from investors including Nissay Capital, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, SBI Investment, and Wacom.

Keywords: medical imaging software, virtual reality surgery, 3D anatomical models, surgical planning, medical education, medtech, healthtech, CT scan visualization, MRI to VR, surgical simulation, augmented reality healthcare, Naoji Taniguchi, Maki Sugimoto, Holoeyes MD, remote surgery collaboration, medical training platform, digital anatomy, clinical VR, surgical visualization, medical device software