The tech industry is taking off in Pittsburgh, with new companies constantly forming and others moving to the area. Artificial intelligence (AI) is an emerging part of the tech startup scene, while the healthcare industry is also a staple in our region.
So what happens at the intersection of healthcare and artificial intelligence? The global Healthcare AI market is predicted to reach approximately $36B by 2025, and several startups in our area plan to help drive this growth.
These Pittsburgh-based startups are using AI to solve widespread problems in healthcare. The companies have a range of goals, which include diagnosing diseases, treating medical conditions, supporting healthy pregnancies, and improving brain performance.
Ariel Precision Medicine
Ariel Precision Medicine has created a software solution to help doctors and patients make the most informed decisions about managing a condition before it becomes more painful, severe, and chronic. The solution, called Celeste, utilizes AI algorithms to enable treatment decisions, which are based on advanced insights in biology, genetics, and medicine. The system is cloud-based so that any doctor in any location can order tests and patients can instantly access their care online. Ariel Precision Medicine is currently focused on pancreatic diseases.
Apollo Neuro
Apollo Neuro has created a small therapeutic wearable that uses your data to do more than just tell you about your health. Apollo delivers gentle frequencies shown to help you fall asleep faster, improve your focus, recover from stress, and perform better mentally and physically. By pulling in data from sources like Apple Health Kit, the software can also learn what is best for each user and customize its therapy to their individual physiology. Apollo is in clinical trials and expects to have its system available by Q4 of 2019.
Bold Brain Ventures
Bold Brain Ventures is bringing together innovators, radiologists, and capital to advance healthcare, starting with the field of radiology. This collaborative investment fund supports the development of AI solutions by providing financial support, domain expertise, and other resources to growing startups. Bold Brain Ventures is investing in a portfolio of approximately 20 companies that are using AI algorithms to diagnose diseases more accurately and improve efficiency in the healthcare system.
Forest Devices
Forest Devices has developed ALPHASTROKE, an early stroke detection device for use on ambulances. ALPHASTROKE works like an EKG for the brain by using disposable electrodes connected to a portable detection unit. The device could enable EMTs to quickly detect stroke so that they can route patients directly to stroke treatment centers and improve patient outcomes. The company is currently completing its second clinical trial and expects regulatory clearance next year.
Naima Health
Naima Health, a startup that spun out of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, develops tools and strategies that improve risk assessment, communication, and intervention across multiple health domains. Naima Health’s flagship product, MyHealthyPregnancy, is a mobile health platform that delivers personalized, engaging, and effective support for pregnant women and their healthcare providers. The platform integrates individual-level input, statistical machine learning, and a user-centered design to help users navigate the pregnancy journey.
Ocean Genomics
Ocean Genomics is building an analysis and machine learning analytics pipeline that will convert raw RNA sequencing data into usable features. This pipeline will help biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and hospital systems accelerate drug discovery and improve personalized treatment recommendations. Ocean Genomics’ mission is to be the world’s most efficient, accurate, and comprehensive gene expression analytics company. Their products and services are centered around an ecosystem of free and open source software.
RC21X
RC21X has teamed up with the Human Performance Institute at the University of Texas at Arlington to create Roberto. Roberto is an app that uses science and scoring algorithms to allow users to quickly monitor their brain performance on any mobile device. Each session produces a unique report, and the app also tracks data trends and provides users with an overall Brain Performance Profile. Roberto has nearly 20,000 users in 140 countries worldwide and is available on iOS, Android and Amazon devices.
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
