German digital health startup Noah Labs has raised €3 million Seed funding for its AI-powered telemonitoring for patients with heart failure.
Founded in 2021 by physician Dr Leonhard Riehle, machine learning engineer Marcus Hott, and serial entrepreneur Oliver Piepenstock, the company’s flagship software, Noah Labs Ark, received approval as a Class IIa medical device under the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) in April.
It enables comprehensive remote monitoring and management of chronic diseases. Doctors can detect deterioration and risks early, which has been shown to reduce cardiovascular complications, hospitalisations, and mortality, such as in cases of heart failure.
The current focus of the cardiological application is heart failure, but the software also monitors hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias. Smartwatches, ECGs, and blood pressure monitors, which are approved as medical devices, transmit the data collected from patients in real-time to the practice or clinic.
Changes in vocal tone as a biomarker for early stage heart disease
Another current research focus of Noah Labs is the development and application of AI in voice-based diagnostics of heart diseases, analysing changes in vocal tone caused by pulmonary edema and fluid accumulation, thereby detecting deterioration up to 14 days before current standard methods.
The company has entered into a strategic partnership with the German Heart Center of the Charité (DHZC) in Berlin.
As part of a clinical study, project partners, including the Mayo Clinic in the USA, are investigating the effectiveness and potential of voice analysis as a novel, non-invasive, and early biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with heart failure.
Nina Capital led the round which includes adesso ventures and the Foundation of the German Heart Center Berlin (DHZB). Additionally, the Brandenburg Investment Bank's ProFIT Brandenburg funding program contributes with a grant and a loan to the financing as well as a range of business angels.
Noah Labs co-founder and CEO Oliver Piepenstock said, "We are proud to work together with true health tech experts who, in addition to capital, bring their expertise and networks as healthcare entrepreneurs, regulatory experts, and healthcare systems.
"We are especially pleased to be the first external investment of the DHZB Foundation. With the fresh capital, we will further intensify our research activities in voice analysis and develop our solutions for other medical conditions in the long term."
According to Marta Zanchi, founder and managing partner of Nina Capital, Noah Labs' research-centric approach is impressive.
“The associated technology-driven process is absolutely convincing and makes an important pioneering contribution to scientific research. Noah Labs puts people at the centre of its work, developing software and products that are intuitive, user-friendly, and accessible to everyone."
Andreas Portmann, Managing Director of the DHZB Foundation, states:
"We specifically support innovative projects that modernise our healthcare system and add value for patients.
We are convinced that digital tools and novel voice-based biomarkers will offer a decisive advantage in cardiovascular medicine.
Noah Labs has developed an exceptional technology platform for this purpose and is part of an outstanding innovation ecosystem in Berlin that truly impacts patients."
Lead image: Noah Labs. Photo: uncredited.
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