Azumio, the startup formed by Bojan Bernard Bostjancic and Peter Kuhar, who developed the popular Instant Heart Rate app, has raised $2.5 million in venture funding from Founders Fund, Accel Partners and Felecis Ventures. The startup plans to expand its product line, which stands at three apps: Stress Check, Stress Doctor and Instant Heart Rate.

Instant Heart Rate uses the smartphone's camera to track color changes in the light that passes through your finger, according to Azumio's site. Azumio claims the app has been independently tested by physicians, nurses, coaches, and EMTs. Instant Heart Rate is available for both iPhone and Android.

The app has attracted about 8 million downloads during the nine months since it launched, according to a report over at GigaOm.

“Mobile technology is fundamentally changing everything, including our approach to health,” Bostjancic told the publication. “We realized this would happen with this technology built into smartphones and we decided we wanted to provide a simple solution for bigger health problems.”

Bostjancic doesn't believe smartphone apps will replace dedicated devices, but these apps will raise awareness about remote monitoring services in general.

The investment in Azumio isn't necessarily the start of a trend that sees VCs funding mobile health app developers. Azumio's founders have substantial experience in both the wireless industry and medical device industry: Bostjancic has sold previous startups to Harris Stratex and Siemens. A true serial entrepreneur. Kuhar previously developed medical devices at Modula and also developed a near-field communications mobile payment service for Halcom.

The Next Web, which first teased this funding announcement earlier this month, has an informative interview with Azumio on its strategy and product features here.