DESKi, a HealthTech company based in Bordeaux, France, develops AI-powered diagnostic tools for cardiac imaging. The company announced the close of a $5.6 million Seed funding round. This capital is designated to support the U.S. and global market launch of its FDA-approved cardiac imaging software, HeartFocus.
The round was led by Racine2, an impact-focused fund managed by Serena and Makesense. Participating investors included BNP Paribas Développement, Épopée Gestion, Good Only Ventures, Better Angle, and NACO, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional fund advised by M Capital.
Founded in 2016 by brothers Bertrand Moal and Olivier Moal, DESKi's flagship product, HeartFocus, was created in 2023. HeartFocus leverages proprietary algorithms trained on over 10 million data points and validated through clinical trials. Dr. Bertrand Moal, a Medical Doctor with a PhD in biomechanical engineering, and Olivier Moal, an engineering alum, developed the solution to address the impact of cardiovascular disease exacerbated by overburdened healthcare systems.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. and globally. Access to echocardiography is often limited by a shortage of trained specialists. HeartFocus aims to bridge this gap by providing real-time AI guidance that enables healthcare professionals to perform diagnostic-quality cardiac ultrasounds after minimal training. This capability makes early diagnosis possible in primary care, rural clinics, and other resource-limited settings.
HeartFocus recently received FDA clearance, along with a Predetermined Change Control Plan (PCCP) designed to facilitate future software updates and expansions. Clinical studies have indicated that even first-time users, guided by HeartFocus AI, can capture diagnostic-quality heart scans. The software is currently partnered with several U.S. and European app platforms and Software Development Kit providers to distribute the technology to healthcare providers worldwide.
"This funding moves us one step closer to a world where early heart disease detection is possible at any point of care," commented Dr Bertrand Moal, MD, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of DESKi.
