The Beginning of Mediwhale
Mediwhale's history began in 2016 when Kevin Choi met Dr. Tyler Rim as a patient.
At the time, Choi was a recent graduate of Pohang University of Science
and Technology (POSTECH) majoring in Industrial Management Engineering, and
Dr. Rim was a vitreoretinal surgeon and assistant professor of phthalmology at Severance Hospital,
Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea.
A Patient’s
Journey
Turned into a Mission
During this visit, Choi found that he had lost nearly 40% of his vision from advanced glaucoma.
If this had been diagnosed and treated early, he could have saved his vision.
This event motivated him to search how to detect health risks early before they show any symptoms.
Dr. Rim supported Choi to receive optimal treatment throughout the process and helped him
better understand that early detection is the best prevention.
A Mission to Revolutionize
Patient Care
Given the mutual interest in machine learning and prevention,
the pair began to share their passion for AI diagnostic solutions to prevent life-threatening diseases.
Dr. Rim knew he wanted to do more than just treat patients.
He wanted to improve patient care. He always envisioned that deep learning algorithms
would predict health risk factors using retinal fundus photographs.
Therefore, he focused his research on data sciences including biostatistics, epidemiology,
big data analytics, and machine learning Dr. Rim idea to build an AI-empowered diagnostics solution
became a reality when the two decided to found Mediwhale.
Entrepreneur, Clinician Scientist,
and Software Expert
To enhance the application of machine learning they were on the lookout for the right Chief Technology
Officer. Choi participated in big data conferences and competitions in healthcare and met Young Lee
in 2016 who won the Big Data Health & Science competition hosted by Asan Medical Center,
the biggest hospital in Korea, as a solo participant.
With Young on board, Mediwhale’s foundational diagnostics algorithm turned into a product.
Choi, Dr. Rim, and Young accomplished building a comprehensive AI diagnostic solution
– Dr. Noon CVD, Dr. Noon CKD and Dr. Noon Fundus using the retina as a biomarker.