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§ Private Profile · 180 N La Salle St Ste 500, Chicago, Illinois, 60601, United States
Level Ex is a technology company.
Level Ex develops professional medical video games, offering physicians realistic training and skill refinement. These games simulate intricate surgical procedures and complex medical scenarios, leveraging advanced game engine technology and scientific accuracy. The platform provides immersive experiences designed to enhance clinical proficiency across medical specialties.
Sam Glassenberg, a veteran of the video game industry, founded Level Ex in 2015. Raised in a family of physicians, Glassenberg recognized an unmet need for engaging training tools in medicine. He applied cutting-edge game development to create effective medical education, bridging interactive entertainment with clinical practice.
Medical professionals, particularly surgeons, utilize Level Ex's simulations to practice techniques and maintain competencies in a risk-free environment. The company aims to advance medical expertise through dynamic, interactive platforms. Its long-term vision is to elevate global patient care by making advanced medical training accessible and directly impactful.
Level Ex has raised $13.2M across 2 funding rounds.
Level Ex has raised $13.2M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Level Ex has raised $13.2M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $11.0M Series A in October 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2017 | $11M Series A | 4490 Ventures | JAZZ Venture Partners, Pritzker Group Venture Capital | Announced |
| Oct 5, 2016 | $2.1M Seed | JAZZ Venture Partners, Pritzker Group | — | Announced |
Level Ex has raised $13.2M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Level Ex's investors include 4490 Ventures, JAZZ Venture Partners, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Pritzker Group.
Level Ex is a Chicago-based medical technology company that develops professional video games, mobile apps, VR, AR experiences, and cloud gaming platforms for physicians to enhance clinical decision-making, procedural skills, and treatment adoption.[1][2][3][5] It serves practicing doctors, residents, medical students, pharmaceutical companies (e.g., Merck, Pfizer), medical device firms (e.g., Baxter, Medtronic), medical societies, and organizations like NASA, solving the challenge of realistic, accessible training without relying on live patients or costly facilities.[1][3][4][7] Games like Airway Ex, Gastro Ex, Pulm Ex, and Cardio Ex offer interactive scenarios with CME credits, free on iOS/Android, attracting over 600,000 professionals and 3 million case plays annually as of recent data, with sponsorships funding operations.[1][3]
Acquired by Brainlab around 2020, Level Ex expanded into cloud-based surgical training; in 2024, its Life Sciences division was rebranded as Relevate Health Games, focusing on pharma-clinical games, while core medical simulations continue under Brainlab.[3][5][8]
Level Ex was founded in 2015 by Sam Glassenberg, inspired by his father, a physician frustrated with inadequate medical training tools, prompting Sam to assemble a team of video game developers, artists, engineers, and over 150 physician advisors.[1][3][4] Starting in Chicago, the company joined MATTER health tech accelerator early on, launching its first product, Airway Ex for anesthesiologists, in 2016 with ultra-realistic simulations developed alongside expert surgeons.[3][4] Early funding included a $2.15 million seed round from JAZZ Venture Partners and Pritzker Group Venture Capital, growing to about 20 employees at launch.[4]
Pivotal moments included rapid product expansion to specialties like cardiology and pulmonology, partnerships with top pharma and device makers, and NASA for space health simulations; by 2020, Brainlab acquired it as a subsidiary, fueling growth to over 1 million users amid rising medical training needs, such as during pandemics.[3][7]
Level Ex rides the gamification and digital simulation wave in healthcare, blending entertainment tech with medtech amid clinician shortages, rising procedural complexity, and post-pandemic remote training demands.[3][7] Timing aligns with AI/VR adoption, VR/AR growth, and pharma's need for immersive education on new therapies/devices, lowering barriers versus expensive cadaver labs or short facility sessions.[1][4][6] It influences the ecosystem by accelerating skill adoption for healthcare firms, societies, and space programs, partnering with leaders like NASA/TRISH; as a Brainlab subsidiary (with 2024 Relevate spin-out), it pioneers cloud surgical training, potentially standardizing virtual practice globally.[3][5][7][8]
Level Ex will likely expand cloud platforms, VR/AR for more specialties, and NASA-style simulations amid endless evolving challenges like new diseases and therapies.[3][7] Trends in AI-enhanced realism, remote collab training, and pharma gamification will propel growth, evolving its influence from niche trainer to core medtech infrastructure under Brainlab, while Relevate targets life sciences.[5][6][8] This positions it to transform physician upskilling, bridging gaming's "state-of-the-art" with healthcare's gaps for safer, faster adoptions.[3]