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Technologická Inkubace

A Czech startup has introduced a technology that saves lives. It won a prestigious competition

AI
17.12. 2024
line-arrow A Czech startup has introduced a technology that saves lives. It won a prestigious competition

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and the issue of prevention and diagnosis is becoming increasingly urgent. The founders of the Czech startup KARDI AI have responded to this challenge by developing a portable device capable of monitoring heart rhythms anytime and anywhere with the help of artificial intelligence.

This article was adapted from www.e15.cz.

Innovative technology earned the startup a win in the Demo Day competition. Startup KARDI AI has not only won the recognition of the professional public, but also important support for further growth. The prestigious event took place this October as part of the Tech Happy Hours conference and was organised by Technology Incubation, a project of the CzechInvest agency. The agency supports Czech innovative startups with market potential and has a goal of supporting 250 companies during its existence, currently working with nearly 200 startups. The last call for startups that want to join this largest project will be launched by Technologická incubation in the first half of next year.

What was behind the success of Cardiac AI, how does their technology work and how do they want to change the diagnosis of heart disease? We asked Vlastimil Hrabal, Chief Operating Officer of this ambitious project.

How did the idea for the KARDI AI project come about and what role did Prof. Skála and Stephen Burke play?

The idea for KARDI AI came about during an informal discussion over a glass of wine between Prof. Tomas Skala, a renowned cardiologist, and Stephen Burke, an American entrepreneur. They were discussing the challenges associated with long-term cardiac monitoring – its cost and availability. Together they came up with a vision to create a medical device that is convenient, affordable and uses artificial intelligence to analyse ECGs. This idea became the basis of the KARDI AI project.

Heart problems are the most common cause of death in the Czech Republic. What gap in diagnostics did you want to fill with your project?

Our goal was to make long-term heart rhythm monitoring available anywhere, anytime, and for as long as the user needs it, so that prevention of cardiovascular disease becomes more accessible to the general public without the need to go to hospitals or outpatient doctors for ECGs. And to facilitate early detection of problems. Traditional diagnostic methods often catch problems only at the stage when the patient is hospitalised. KARDI AI delivers a simple, portable solution that allows users to monitor their heart at any time, and gives doctors the ability to see the data, leading to faster and more accurate diagnoses.

Vlastimil Hrabal

Vlastimil Hrabal is the Chief Operating Officer of Kardi AI, where he uses his extensive experience in business development and expansion. Prior to joining Kardi AI, he held key positions at ING Life Insurance Company and DIRECT Insurance Company and was instrumental in the development of Home Credit companies in India and the Philippines.

The KARDI AI startup entered the Technology Incubation project as part of the second call in 2023 and is incubated in the AI Hub. The startup’s medallion can be found here.

Can you explain how your technology works and how it can detect cardiac arrhythmias better than existing methods?

Our device uses sensors to sense ECG and other cardiac parameters. The data is analyzed using artificial intelligence algorithms that recognize up to seven different types of heart rhythm disorders with high accuracy. By collecting data continuously, we are able to pick up rhythm disturbances that occur randomly in waves and are therefore often missed by traditional short-term methods. The result is a higher chance of catching the problem, faster diagnosis and better prevention.

Healthcare is in many ways a conservative field. How are doctors and other professionals responding to your technology?

The doctors’ approach to our solution is mostly positive. In particular, they appreciate that the technology saves them time and provides a large amount of quality data. Thanks to AI evaluation, our solution serves as a “third eye of the physician”, leading to improved patient care.
Of course, we also encounter some caution, but thanks to published studies and collaboration with approximately 130 cardiologists and dozens of prestigious medical institutions, we are building trust with the professional community. A great feedback is the fourfold increase in the number of collaborating cardiologists in the last year and the fact that they themselves approach us to join the system – this is the greatest recognition for us.

Have you had feedback from patients who have received early diagnosis or better care thanks to your solution?

Yes, our users’ stories are a huge motivation for us. The discovery of a serious problem in the mother-in-law of one of the co-founders is one such gem, but overall we have already detected rhythm disorders in several hundred cases that could result in, for example, stroke, heart failure or early onset dementia. Users appreciate the simplicity of the device as well as the peace of mind that comes with being in control of their health.

What does it mean to you to be in the Technology Incubation project and how can winning it advance you in the context of further development?

Being in the Technology Incubation project is a confirmation for us that our product is not only technologically but also socially relevant. Winning the Demo Day competition gives us greater visibility and professional support, which we will use to further develop KARDI AI and expand into new markets.

What are your plans for KARDI AI’s expansion in the coming years? Which countries or regions do you want to focus on?

In the coming years, we plan to expand our presence not only in Europe, but also to markets in Asia. We will focus on countries with a growing demand for telemedicine. We are prioritising countries with high mortality due to heart disease and countries where medical care is unavailable due to system congestion or long distances between doctor and patient. Our long-term goal is to make KARDI AI a global leader in cardiac diagnostics and prevention.

KARDI AI is the winner of the Technology Incubation #Demoday contest we hosted. For details about this startup competition of our project, please see here.

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