Scopi Medical
AI-enabled portable endoscope for point-of-care nasal diagnosis.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor | €0.0 | round |
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
| N/A | N/A | Seed | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Scopi Medical, founded in 2021 by CEO Anna von Wendorff, is developing a next-generation medical optical imaging platform for clinics. The company's core product is a portable, AI-enabled nasal endoscope designed for point-of-care diagnosis of conditions like chronic rhinosinusitis. This technology aims to provide a low-cost, user-friendly alternative to expensive and complex diagnostic equipment, which can cost around $100,000 and is often unnecessary for initial diagnoses.
The inspiration for the company originated in 2018 when von Wendorff, then a mechanical engineering graduate student at Stanford University, was working with the international charity Smile Train. Through this experience, she identified the critical need for a simple, affordable way to visualize the inside of the nose in clinical settings. The company's device is based on a hardware prototype developed at Stanford. The system features a reusable handle and a sterile, single-use component to prevent cross-contamination, combined with AI/ML software to analyze the captured images. This allows primary care practitioners to view, interpret, and treat conditions more accurately and earlier, potentially collaborating remotely with specialists.
As of September 2023, Scopi Medical's products were in the design and development phase, undergoing usability testing while the company prepared for FDA submission. The company is strategically focused on commercialization and is working with clinicians to ensure the product meets user needs across various settings. Scopi Medical has raised approximately $1 million and participated in the 2022 FourthWave accelerator, which von Wendorff noted was pivotal for her leadership development. The company's business model addresses the significant costs and patient frustration associated with delayed or missed diagnoses in the current healthcare landscape. By enabling immediate visualization, Scopi aims to reduce misdiagnoses, unnecessary medications, and slow referrals.
Keywords: medical optical imaging, nasal endoscope, point-of-care diagnostics, AI medical device, rhinosinusitis diagnosis, portable endoscope, medtech, health technology, ENT devices, clinical diagnostics, Anna von Wendorff, Stanford University startup, medical visualization, single-use medical device, diagnostic imaging, primary care technology, remote diagnosis, AI-supported software, healthcare innovation, nasal imaging