Aevice Health obtains $1M investment for Japan, US expansion

Singapore-based respiratory health IT maker Aevice Health has received a $1 million investment from A&D Company for its expansion in the United States and Japan.

Based on their agreement, Aevice can leverage the sales network of its investor, which manufactures precision equipment and product inspection equipment for healthcare and laboratories worldwide. In turn, Japan-headquartered A&D will be acquiring shares in Aevice, have the right to invest in its future funding rounds, and harness its technology to develop new products and services. 

Aevice offers a patient management platform for patients with chronic respiratory ailments. Featuring a smart wearable stethoscope, AeviceMD has been certified by regulatory bodies in Singapore and the United States. 

Lunit completes Volpara acquisition

New Zealand-headquartered Volpara Health Technologies has been fully acquired by South Korean medical AI giant Lunit. 

Lunit is now integrating Volpara's AI breast health platforms, including the Scorecard breast density assessment tool, into its line of AI solutions for breast cancer detection. 

The acquisition will support Lunit's expansion to the United States where Volpara is used in over 2,000 medical sites. The US healthcare AI market is projected to grow to over $50 billion by 2030. Additionally, there is an anticipated increase in demand for breast cancer screening among American women as screening has been recommended to women below age 50. 

Moving forward, both companies are keen to collaborate in developing autonomous AI models, as well as screening solutions for other cancer types. Lunit also intends to introduce Volpara's solutions in markets beyond the US.

New healthcare networking platform goes live

A new networking platform that connects healthcare startups, investors, distributors, and service providers has been recently launched.

VentureBlick, an incubator firm from Singapore, said its platform, Discovery, is the first of its kind that "[brings] together key stakeholders in healthcare innovation under one virtual roof."

The free online platform features exclusive access to a curated list of advisers (clinicians or industry experts) who are part of the global VentureBlick Advisory Network. Upcoming features, including Open Innovation Search, 1-to-1 expert call on-demand, smart matching, and open Q&A forum, are expected in the coming months. 

Since its soft launch, it has onboarded nearly 3,000 individuals from 50 countries.