Signify Premium Insight: DiA Deemed a Worthy Investment in $14m Funding Round

Last month, DiA Imaging Analysis raised $14m in additional funding, as the vendor looks to expand its portfolio of regulator-cleared AI-based ultrasound solutions. The capital was sourced from a consortium of investors, including Philips, which already holds a minor stake in the business. The investment will bolster the AI developer as it seeks to pursue new and expanded partnerships with ultrasound vendors and healthcare IT companies, as well as growing its global presence in Asia, Europe and the US.

The funding round also more than doubles the total funding the Israeli-based vendor has secured since it was founded in 2010 and is one of several large investments made into ultrasound AI vendors in recent years. But, what changes in the ultrasound AI market do these moves presage?

The Signify View

AI’s incorporation into ultrasound is somewhat different to the technology’s implementation with other modalities. With MRI, CT and X-ray, the image analysis software is generally not embedded on the scanner, instead it is located in the PACS or advanced visualisation platform. In the world of ultrasound, however, many software tools are already embedded on the systems themselves. There are a number of reasons for this, with technical differences such as more manageable image sizes playing an equal part to differences in use cases and implementation. Unlike with a CT examination, for example, where a technician acquires the image before sending it on to a radiologist in a separate room or site, ultrasound images are often interpreted as the examinations themselves are being conducted.