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§ Private Profile · New City, NY, USA
Optain is a technology company.
Optain develops an AI-powered oculomics platform for fast, non-invasive screening of chronic diseases via retinal imaging. Its technology analyzes retinal scans to detect early indicators of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and cardiovascular disease. The platform delivers precise diagnostic support directly at the point of care, aiming to enhance clinical efficiency and patient outcomes.
The company's foundational technology originates from over a decade of research by Professor Mingguang He at the University of Melbourne and Australia's Centre for Eye Research. This work initially formed Eyetelligence, an Australian venture launched in 2019. Optain was formally established in 2023, leveraging this scientific and technological heritage to scale advanced AI diagnostics globally.
Optain's solution aids clinicians with accurate, affordable early disease detection, improving patient quality of life and practice efficiency. The company’s vision is to enable universal access to early chronic disease detection, utilizing the diagnostic power of the human eye for proactive health management.
Optain has raised $38.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Optain has raised $38.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Optain has raised $38.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Optain's investors include Insight Partners, Afore Capital, Antiportfolio Ventures, Crossbeam Venture Partners, Overlooked Ventures, Right Side Capital Management, Stone Mountain Ventures, Evan Moore, Informed Ventures, Lumio Capital, Memorial Hermann Health System, Meridian Ventures.
Optain has raised $38.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $26.0M Series A in September 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2025 | $26M Series A | Insight Partners | Afore Capital, Antiportfolio Ventures, Crossbeam Venture Partners, Overlooked Ventures, Right Side Capital Management, Stone Mountain Ventures, Evan Moore, Informed Ventures, Lumio Capital, Memorial Hermann Health System, Meridian Ventures, Northwell Health, Novant Health, The Ohio State University, Uniquest, UPMC | Announced |
| May 9, 2023 | $12M Seed | Ascertain | — | Announced |
Optain is a healthcare technology company developing AI-powered oculomics solutions that use retinal imaging to detect eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration, as well as systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease.[1][2][3] Its core products include Resolve, a portable robotic retinal camera that captures images without pupil dilation, and Assure, a diagnostic platform integrating AI workflows and teleophthalmology for point-of-care screening.[1][2][3] Optain serves health systems, primary care providers, optometrists, and underserved communities, addressing gaps in preventive care by enabling rapid, non-invasive testing to close equity disparities and reduce costs.[2][3][4] Founded in 2023, it has raised $38M total ($12M seed in 2023, $26M oversubscribed Series A in 2025), achieving strong growth through partnerships with major U.S. health systems like Northwell Health, Memorial Hermann, and UPMC, serving over 28 million patients across 25 states.[1][3][4]
Optain was launched in 2023 by Aegis Ventures and Northwell Holdings through their Ascertain platform, a company-creation initiative started in 2022 to build AI solutions for healthcare challenges.[2] The company stems from over a decade of research by Professor Mingguang (Ming) He, a global leader in oculomics based in Australia, backed by 30+ peer-reviewed publications.[1][3][4] Jeff Dunkel serves as CEO, emphasizing the shift from reactive to proactive care, while Dr. Zachary Tan is President, overseeing Australian R&D and global expansion.[2][3] Early traction came from Northwell Health as its flagship customer, with the $12M seed funding enabling initial deployments focused on ophthalmology and health equity in underserved areas.[2] The 2025 Series A, led by Insight Partners, accelerated U.S. scaling and international growth after two years of momentum.[3][4]
Optain rides the oculomics and AI preventive care wave, leveraging the retina as a "window to whole-body health" amid rising demand for non-invasive, early-detection tools in primary care.[1][3] Timing aligns with healthcare's shift to proactive screening, fueled by AI advancements, telehealth growth post-pandemic, and equity mandates, as legacy tools remain expensive and specialist-dependent.[2][4] Market tailwinds include diabetic retinopathy affecting millions (e.g., U.S. screening shortfalls) and systemic disease burdens, where Optain's edge AI reduces costs and expands access beyond ophthalmology.[3] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering point-of-care AI, partnering with health giants to standardize oculomics, and exporting Australian innovation globally, potentially reshaping preventive diagnostics.[3][4]
Optain is poised for explosive growth, with Series A funds fueling U.S. enterprise rollouts, new markets like optometry, and expanded AI capabilities revealing more retinal insights (e.g., beyond current eye/cardio detections).[3][4] Trends like AI edge computing, value-based care, and global health equity will propel it, especially as health systems prioritize upstream screening to cut downstream costs.[2][4] Its influence may evolve into a primary care staple, influencing competitors like Mediwhale and Toku Eyes while driving oculomics adoption worldwide through Australian R&D hubs.[1][3] From seed-stage launch to $38M-funded scaler, Optain exemplifies how AI oculomics turns the eye into preventive health's ultimate gateway.[1][2]