DESKi Funding News-France HealthTech Startup DESKi Secures €5.2 Million In Seed Round

The round was led by Racine2, an impact-focused fund managed by Serena and Makesense. Other investors include BNP Paribas Développement, Épopée Gestion, Good Only Ventures, Better Angle, and NACO, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional fund advised by M Capital.

“This funding moves us one step closer to a world where early heart disease detection is possible at any point of care,” said Dr Bertrand Moal, MD, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of DESKi. “It allows us to continue improving HeartFocus and ensures that more providers can access the tools they need to deliver life-saving diagnoses.”

HeartFocus uses proprietary algorithms trained on over 10 million data points and validated through clinical trials. Bertrand, a medical doctor with a PhD in biomechanical engineering, and Olivier, an engineer educated at Berkeley and EPFL, created the tool to address the growing impact of cardiovascular disease in overstretched healthcare systems.

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HeartFocus is already working with app platforms and SDK providers in the U.S. and Europe to make the technology accessible to healthcare providers worldwide.

“With Heartfocus, DESKi is tackling one of the most urgent challenges in healthcare: how to make life-saving diagnostics available far beyond the walls of a hospital,” said Léa Zaslavsky, Partner at Racine2. “We are proud to lead this round and support the company’s evolution from clinical validation to real-world impact.”

This milestone adds to the momentum for HeartFocus, which recently received FDA clearance along with a Predetermined Change Control Plan (PCCP). The PCCP allows for easier updates and future improvements to the software.

Clinical studies have shown that even first-time users, guided by HeartFocus AI, can capture heart scans with diagnostic-level quality.

“We invest in solutions that improve the patient journey for better care at better costs,” said Sophie Pierrin Lepinard, Director of Partnerships at BNP Paribas Développement. “We believe HeartFocus is uniquely positioned to transform how cardiovascular disease is detected and managed worldwide, with faster access, and we’re excited to continue supporting the team as they bring innovation to a variety of care settings.”

According to DESKi, heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide, but many patients don’t get timely diagnosis due to a lack of trained specialists in echocardiography.

HeartFocus aims to solve this by using real-time AI guidance, allowing any healthcare professional to perform heart ultrasounds with just a few hours of training. This makes early diagnosis possible even in primary care settings, rural clinics, and other places with limited medical resources.

“Épopée is honored to support this milestone and contribute to the international expansion of a high-impact ultrasound solution” said Camille Le Roux Larsabal, VC Partner at Épopée Gestion.

About DESKi

Founded in 2016, DESKi develops AI-powered medical tools in collaboration with doctors and researchers. One of its key products, HeartFocus, was launched in 2023 by French brothers Bertrand and Olivier Moal.