Radiology AI firm Gleamer expands into MRI with 2 acquisitions
French radiology AI software provider Gleamer is expanding into MRI with two acquisitions, the company announced Tuesday.
Gleamer was founded in 2017 and offers a suite of medical imaging solutions across X-ray, mammography and CT. The Paris company now wants to grow into another modality and is adding fellow French firms Pixyl and Caerus Medical.
In a recent interview with Tech Crunch, CEO Christian Allouche highlighted the growing popularity of whole-body MRI as one motivation for the acquisitions. He also cited radiologist shortages, underlining the need for gains in efficiency.
“In the not-too-distant future, I think we’ll all be getting routine whole-body MRIs paid for by our insurance companies—since they’re not irradiating,” he told the news outlet. “There’s a real need to automate all this with a very solid AI model that has a much higher level of sensitivity than a human,” he added later, referring to the orchestration and triage performed by MRI.
Paris-based Caerus Medical was founded in 2020. The company utilizes AI to improve lumbar spine MRI interpretation, offering precision in detecting disc herniation, stenosis and other findings. It strives to enhance workflows and diagnostic reliability, “streamlining the reporting process for radiologists.” Meanwhile, Pixyl was founded in 2015 as a spinoff of French labs Inria and Inserm. Its flagship product, Pixyl.Neuro, is cleared by the U.S. FDA, aiding physicians in the detection of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
“With new reimbursement pathways emerging in the U.S., Pixyl’s solutions are poised for rapid adoption, reinforcing its role at the forefront of AI-driven radiology innovation,” Gleamer said in a March 11 announcement.
The deals increase Gleamer’s workforce to over 100 employees working in seven countries. The startup’s products are now used at 2,000 institutions across 45 countries, processing 35 million exams, Tech Crunch reported. Its bone trauma interpretation product, BoneView, also is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Gleamer in 2023 completed a nearly $30 million Series B financing round, raising funds from Supernova Invest, Heal Capital and several European radiologists.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.