Holoeyes, a medical virtual reality company, recently announced raising about 400 million yen (around 2.7 million USD) through a third-party share placement. The funds will be used to expand human resources and enhance technology development. Coupled with previous funding rounds, the total is expected to surpass 800 million yen.
Holoeyes to Continue Improving Existing Tech
Established in 2016, Holoeyes specializes in producing medical imaging software like “Holoeyes MD.” This software enables users to upload 3D models from CT and MRI images, including color-coded blood vessel and bone structures. These models can be viewed and manipulated with VR/MR devices like Meta Quest and HoloLens 2. The software is widely used in surgical planning, conferences, research papers, and medical education.
Funding was provided by MEDIPAL Innovation Investment Limited Partnership (LPS), a unit of MEDIPAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION, along with Japanese Venture Capital firms Asteria Corporation, Carbon Ventures, QR Inc. Investment, and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Capital Co. This investment, combined with prior rounds of fundraising, is projected to exceed 800 million yen.
Holoeyes stated in a press release about the funding:
“Our goal is to improve healthcare by supporting physicians and healthcare professionals, and we are committed to making information sharing more intuitive and reducing the burden on the front line of care.”
A Trend Across Industries
Similar efforts utilizing 3D models for medical research and clinical use are also pursued by other companies. In 2022, FundamentalVR in the UK and MediView XR in the US also secured funding for their initiatives.Last year, GE Healthcare, one of the world’s top 10 medical device companies, announced a partnership with MediView XR to develop a medical image visualization system called OmnifyXR, based on Microsoft’s HoloLens. The system aids surgeons during procedures and supports guidance and collaboration among remote specialists.
