Hubble Telemedical
Telemedicine platform for real-time diabetic retinopathy diagnosis.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
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| investor | €0.0 | round | |
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| N/A | €0.0 | round | |
| investor investor | €0.0 | round | |
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| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Hubble Telemedical, founded in 2011 and based in Knoxville, Tennessee, provided a telemedicine platform for the real-time diagnosis and management of diabetic retinopathy. The company was established by Dr. Edward Chaum, a researcher at the UT Health Science Center, and Kenneth Tobin, a researcher at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Their collaboration aimed to increase access to vision-saving screenings for diabetic patients, particularly those with low incomes who lacked regular access to specialist care.
The core of the business was its proprietary Telemedical Retinal Image Analysis and Diagnosis (TRIAD) platform. This web-based technology enabled primary care physicians to capture retinal images using standard cameras, which were then securely transmitted to a network of remote retinal specialists. These specialists provided a same-day diagnosis, information on the disease's severity, and a management plan back to the primary care site. This model integrated retinal screening into routine primary care visits, which was shown to significantly increase patient compliance with recommended annual exams.
The company's business model was service-based, generating revenue by providing screening and consultation services to healthcare providers and health plans. This helped healthcare plans improve HEDIS compliance levels. Hubble Telemedical raised a total of $1.15 million in funding over five rounds, with investors including MB Venture Partners' TNInvestco fund and the United States Department of Agriculture. In January 2015, the company was acquired by Welch Allyn, a global manufacturer of medical diagnostic equipment, for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition was intended to scale Hubble's platform into a national enterprise to combat preventable blindness from diabetic eye disease.
Keywords: diabetic retinopathy, telemedicine, retinal imaging, remote diagnosis, eye disease screening, medtech, tele-retinal, telehealth, primary care diagnostics, vision screening, disease management, HEDIS compliance, medical diagnostic equipment, digital health, ophthalmology, remote patient monitoring, chronic disease management, healthcare accessibility, Welch Allyn, Edward Chaum