AVATAR MEDICAL

AVATAR MEDICAL, a spin-off of the Institut Pasteur and Institut Curie, creates 3D patient avatars using medical images to aid surgeons with visualization. The solution transforms medical images into interactive 3D avatars within a VR environment. These avatars are real-time, lossless representations that provide an accurate, instant tool for clinicians to interpret their patient's medical imagery. The technology enables visualization of soft tissues and direct translation of MRI and CT scans into customizable digital avatars without any pre-processing of data. Surgeons upload the DICOM image, set up the visualization, and then interact with the avatar in VR.

The firm's solutions find application across various surgical disciplines, including orthopedic, head and neck, cardiovascular, breast surgery, urology, sarcoma surgery, surgical oncology, and neonatal imaging. They allow for visualization of vessels, tumors relative to bones and soft tissues, and complex anatomical structures in-depth. Additionally, in June 2023, the company announced that features of its platform received FDA clearance.

The platform is also used for education, research, and patient engagement. It serves as a beneficial tool for professors, aiding healthcare students in comprehending human anatomy, interpreting medical images, diagnosing conditions, and determining treatments. The company had released six medical publications as of June 2023. In a notable instance from November 2020, the company's platform was employed to design a training module for managing craniofacial fractures – a challenging area due to the intricate anatomy of the head. 98% of students acknowledged the potential advantages of using its platform for a better understanding of craniofacial trauma.

In December 2020, AVATAR MEDICAL™ joined the EIT Health Accelerator, gaining access to a robust network of European healthcare experts to facilitate the rapid scaling of their virtual reality solution for surgeons. In February 2021, they became part of the NVIDIA Inception, a premier virtual accelerator providing go-to-market support, expertise, and technology to revolutionary AI start-ups. March 2021 saw their inclusion into the PRAIRIE Institute, one of France's four AI Institutes, providing a wealth of scientific knowledge to further enhance their solutions. Finally, in September 2021, they were accepted into the Deeptech North America NETVA program, which supports innovative French start-ups emerging from the incubation phase.

Key customers and partnerships

Key customers include the APHP Necker Hospital, and surgeons across 20 different institutions, including UMass, CUNY, and Columbia University.

Partnerships include that with Brest University Hospital (August 2021) to advance research on prostate cancer and tumor visualization.

Funding and financials

The company’s latest funding round was in February 2024, where it raised EUR 5 million (~USD 5.4 million) in a seed funding round led by GO Capital. The capital raised was intended for Avatar Medical's venture into commercialization, specifically in the US and European markets. It would also aid in accelerating the development of the company's product, AvatarCloud.