MediWhale

About MediWhale

MediWhale is a South Korean health diagnostics company founded in 2016 that leverages artificial intelligence and non-invasive retinal scans to predict the risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases. The company's creation was inspired by the personal health journey of co-founder and CEO Kevin Taegeun Choi, who was diagnosed with advanced glaucoma at a young age and lost a significant portion of his vision. This experience motivated him to find a way to prevent others from receiving late diagnoses. Choi, a POSTECH graduate, partnered with his vitreoretinal surgeon, Dr. Tyler Hyungtaek Rim, who became the Chief Medical Officer. They were joined by award-winning computer scientist Young Geunyoung Lee as Chief Technology Officer to build the AI solutions.

The company's core technology, marketed as Reti-Intelligence, uses deep learning algorithms to analyze retinal photographs to detect signs of future disease risk before symptoms appear. Since the eye is the only organ where blood vessels can be viewed non-invasively, the technology assesses vascular health to predict systemic conditions. MediWhale's flagship product, Dr. Noon CVD (formerly Reti-CVD), provides a cardiovascular risk assessment comparable to a cardiac CT scan but without radiation exposure. The process involves capturing a retinal image with a fundus camera, which is then analyzed by the AI to provide a risk report within a minute. Other products in its suite include Reti-CKD for chronic kidney disease, Reti-Eye for ocular diseases, and Reti-Age.

MediWhale operates on a Software as a Medical Device (SaaMD) business model, providing its software solutions to primary care providers, clinics, and hospitals. This allows for early risk detection in primary care settings, saving patients time and money by avoiding unnecessary specialist visits. The company has gained regulatory approvals in eight territories across Europe and Asia, including the EU, UK, and Australia. It is actively pursuing FDA approval in the United States, with plans to submit its application by late 2025 and hopes for a decision in 2026. The company has successfully raised significant capital through multiple funding rounds, including a $12 million Series A2 in 2024 and a $14.5 million Series C in early 2026, to fuel its global expansion, enhance its AI algorithms, and conduct further clinical trials.