New funding: Portland, Ore.-based startup Yor Labs raised $3.3 million to fund the development of a lightweight ultrasound system powered by artificial intelligence, according to a regulatory filing.
Company background: The stealthy startup was founded four years ago and plans to make ultrasound devices that are portable, handheld and wireless. It will infuse the ultrasound systems with AI to make it easier to read images and diagnose patients.
“Imagine … an intelligent, predictive and intuitive ultrasound imaging system. Imagine … all of this being produced by a wireless device in the palm of your hand!” the company’s website reads.
Competition: Fujifilm SonoSite, a longtime leader in ultrasound, is also betting that artificial intelligence will play a key role in the future of the technology. The Bothell, Wash.-based company is collaborating with the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence to use AI to interpret ultrasound images. The hope is that machine learning can influence the field to the same degree that handheld devices led to a revolution in mobile ultrasound.
Leadership: The company is led by CEO Bill Willis, who formerly led medical device firms iRhythm Technologies and Cardiac Insight. Yor Labs has deep roots at Intel. Anshumali Roy, a former senior engineer at Intel, is the chief technology officer. The startup’s principal scientist is Clark Brooks, another longtime Intel engineer. And former Intel executive Sunit Rikhi is a co-founder and investor in the company.
The startup’s board of directors is chaired by Michael Goldberg, who also leads the boards of CareDX and DNAnexus. William Starling, co-founder of Synergy Life Science Partners, is an investor and director. Synergy operates an early-stage medical device venture capital fund.
Yor Labs has 16 employees on LinkedIn. The company declined to comment on the financing.
