SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GobiquityTM, a global leader in mobile vision screening technology, received a $6M investment round from venture capital firm InterWest Partners in a first close of its Series B financing. The venture capital firm’s increased commitment will support the company’s commercial growth, specifically its product development and global expansion.
In 2015, Gobiquity launched GoCheck Kids™, the world’s first and only comprehensive mobile vision screener that combines photoscreening and digital visual acuity in a single application. GoCheck Kids has garnered exceptional momentum in the past year with over 2,000 US Pediatricians implementing GoCheck Kids to identify risk factors for amblyopia—the leading cause of permanent vision loss in children—including near- and farsightedness as well as "lazy eye."
This month, the company reports having achieved a significant milestone: surpassing 100,000 screenings performed, and now averaging over 3,000 children screened per week, which represents over 300% annual growth.
“InterWest Partners continues to support our mission to enable early detection and prevention of vision impairment through broad access to specialized mobile technology,” said Andrew Burns, CEO of Gobiquity.
Recently updated screening guidelines offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reinforced the need for early routine vision screenings, including a full recommendation that instrument-based photoscreening should begin as early as 1 year of age. “At Gobiquity, we are committed to evolving our validated, portable and affordable mobile screening portfolio to address both children and adults,” said Burns.
“Gobiquity is changing the standard of care through its innovative mobile vision screening tools, which are already making a significant positive impact on the awareness and treatment of serious eye disorders, helping to prevent visual loss in even the youngest patients,” said Dr. Gil Kliman, Managing Director at InterWest Partners.
August is Amblyopia Awareness Month and also marks the release of the company’s newest iPhone application for health care providers. This release will accelerate distribution and lay the foundation to extend the product to caregivers. “We are excited about this release because it provides us with more opportunities to detect and prevent vision impairment for a market of more than 285M people who suffer from vision impairment, of which 80% (World Health Organization, 2014) is treatable if identified early,” indicated Burns.
Health professionals can download the GoCheck Kids iPhone app on the Apple App Store or visit www.gobiquity.com to learn more.
About Gobiquity Mobile Health
Gobiquity Mobile Health provides innovative mobile applications that bring specialty screening tools to providers and caregivers. Their flagship mobile application, GoCheck Kids™, is a comprehensive vision screening solution. Gobiquity is committed to expanding its portfolio of pediatric vision technology to adult primary care in order to reach a broader audience of healthcare stakeholders - establishing Gobiquity as the ubiquitous vision solution for the healthcare industry. (www.gobiquity.com | www.gocheckkids.com).
About Interwest Partners
InterWest Partners invests in some of the world’s most promising early stage IT and healthcare businesses. For over 37 years, InterWest Partners has partnered with entrepreneurs to build winning companies. With more than 200 years of operating and investing experience, InterWest has raised $2.8 billion, completed 85 IPOs, and participated in over 80 upside acquisitions. InterWest is currently investing in InterWest X, a $650M fund.
