Second Heart
AI-powered platform preventing diabetic foot amputations.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | €0.0 | round | |
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
* | N/A | Early VC | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
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Founded in 2019 by Yukihiro Ishida, Second Heart Inc. is a Japanese health-tech company dedicated to eliminating diabetic foot amputations. The company's name is derived from the phrase "the foot is the second heart." The founder's mission was born from over 20 years of experience as a clinical engineering technologist in the dialysis field, where he witnessed numerous patients suffer from foot amputations due to diabetic complications. This firsthand experience, combined with his expertise in medical device development, drove him to establish the company.
The core of Second Heart's offering is "Steplife," a cloud-based, AI-powered platform for diabetic foot care. The service enables patients to take photos of their feet with a smartphone, which are then analyzed by AI to detect early warning signs of complications that might be invisible to the naked eye. This data is shared remotely with medical institutions, creating a seamless network of care between patients, clinics, and hospitals. This process facilitates early detection and intervention, improves patient self-management, and enhances the efficiency of healthcare providers. The business model is primarily B2B, with monthly subscription fees for medical institutions. The company has also developed related products, including diabetic socks called "LYRICS" and a VR educational tool for patients.
Originally established as Ishida Products LLC, the company rebranded to Second Heart Inc. in December 2023 to better reflect its new focus on preventing diabetic complications, a pivot from its prior consulting business. The company has received multiple seed funding rounds from investors including angel investors, the Osaka Social Issue Resolution Fund No. 2, and Leave a Nest Capital. With a vision to create a future where people can continuously participate in society, Second Heart is expanding its operations globally, having established a subsidiary in Malaysia to address the high incidence of diabetic foot disease in Southeast Asia.
Keywords: diabetic foot care, amputation prevention, health-tech, medical AI, remote patient monitoring, digital health, Steplife, clinical support platform, wound care, diabetes complications, preventative healthcare, telemedicine, medical imaging, Yukihiro Ishida, chronic disease management, foot ulcer detection, cloud healthcare, Japanese startup, ASEAN healthcare, podiatry technology