BlueOcean Ventures invests in MIKAJAKI, inventor of the world’s first ophthalmic diagnostic robotic platform

Funds will enable the company to finalize the regulatory process toward CE certification for its ophthalmology platform, which provides pre-diagnostics and patient triage.

• MIKAJAKI has re-engineered eye healthcare by empowering digital, robotics & AI revolutions. New process includes EyeLib™, a completely self-operated station for comprehensive and automated pre-diagnosis and efficient triage. 
• Over CHF 2.4M Pre-Series A investment in shares and convertible loans.
• BlueOcean Ventures is the lead investor, with the participation of a consortium of private ophthalmologist investors.
• Partnership with Pallas Kliniken, the largest ophthalmic clinic group in Switzerland.
• Contracts signed with over 10 large European ophthalmic centers and ophthalmic device manufacturers.

Plan Les Ouates, Switzerland, May 18, 2020 — MIKAJAKI, a Geneva-based company, has closed over CHF 2.4M in a Pre-Series A financing round. The investment will support MIKAJAKI in finalizing the regulatory process and obtaining CE mark, as well as reinforcing its team. Furthermore, the funds will contribute to the initial installation of EyeLib™ orders from its early investors network. 

This infusion of funds will enable the company to enter the market faster and become a reference in ophthalmology. Today, the field of ophthalmology is under pressure from an increasingly aging population, which is growing much faster than the number of health professionals. As a result, waiting times will continue to increase, leading to a higher chance for degraded prognoses of sight-threatening diseases.

MIKAJAKI’s platform will make eye clinics and health institutions much more efficient by reshaping the clinical pipeline, which will then eliminate waits and superfluous costs involved in current methods of patient evaluation. As a result, patients will have quick access to the EyeLib™, will be referred to the most relevant provider and will get an appointment based on the urgency of their case.

The EyeLib™ station delivers a full report, including optical prescription parameters and accurate objective diagnostics for most vision-threatening eye conditions, based on ultimate ophthalmic diagnostic devices, state-of-the-art robotics and artificial intelligence. Patient profiling enables customized follow-up and referrals to specialists if needed. The EyeLib™ saves time and money for all stakeholders in the eye healthcare ecosystem, including patients, doctors, opticals, researchers, pharmaceutical suppliers, as well as public and private insurers.

The current health crisis has made it even clearer to all of us that the medical world must undergo a complete renovation. It is our intention that the EyeLib™ play an active role in this revolution. In 2019, MIKAJAKI received prestigious support from Innosuisse, and was selected by Bilan.CH, the leading financial magazine, as one of the top 50 Swiss startups for investments in 2020. 

“We are extremely proud to have succeeded in demonstrating our revolutionary concept in such a short amount of time. We are of course very pleased to have attracted new financial partners,” said Michael Assouline, President and Co-Founder of MIKAJAKI. “We are very grateful to BlueOcean for their partnership and are eager to promote this innovative diagnostic equipment as the new gold standard in ophthalmology,” added Jacky Hochner, CEO and Co-Founder of MIKAJAKI.

“Less than two years after its first round of financing, MIKAJAKI’s development team has produced an innovative and automated diagnostic platform for eye exams that will be a game changer in the field” announced Faris Sabeti, General Partner and Co-Founder at Blue Ocean Ventures, as well as a member of MIKAJAKI’s board of directors. “We will support MIKAJAKI in marketing their revolutionary station, which will transform the way eye healthcare is delivered to millions of people worldwide.”

About Pallas Kliniken: For over 25 years, Pallas Kliniken has been a leading group of ophthalmology and eye surgery centers in German-speaking Switzerland. With a network of over 16 locations and 120 doctors and specialists, Pallas Kliniken provides a wide range of the most modern treatment methods. Pallas Kliniken treats over 150,000 patients every year.

About BlueOcean Ventures SA: BlueOcean Ventures has been investing in early-stage medical device and life science companies in Switzerland since 2008. Unlike other funds, BlueOcean Ventures’ four General Partners, Faris Sabeti, Emmanuel de Watteville, Sacha Haymoz and Thomas Zehnder, have a long-standing track record in building, managing and coaching start-up companies. BlueOcean Ventures supports its portfolio companies by connecting them with a large network of experts and industry contacts that invest CHF 2 to 3 million per company, typically with an initial investment at the Seed Stage or the Series A financing round.