
Happy Friday! It’s November 15th.
AlphaFold3 Goes Open Source! DeepMind’s Nobel-winning protein model, now available for non-commercial use, enables researchers to predict protein-DNA interactions. With 200+ million protein structures already mapped, AlphaFold's open access could speed up breakthroughs by years.
Our picks for the week:
Featured Research: A New AI Tool Could Make NICU Safer for Newborns
Perspectives: Inside Forward’s $100 Million Attempt to Reinvent the Doctor’s Office—and Why It Failed
Product Pipeline: FDA Clears First AI Tool for Safe Monitoring of Alzheimer’s Treatments
Policy & Ethics: Grieving Father Finds Chatbot of Deceased Daughter Online
FEATURED RESEARCH
A New AI Tool Could Make NICU Safer for Newborns

In a new study, a Mount Sinai team tested an AI tool that could make NICUs safer for critically ill infants.
Monitoring neurologic changes in these tiny patients typically relies on quick physical exams or the occasional EEG, which can miss subtle shifts.
This tool, called Pose AI, analyzes video feeds to continuously track an infant’s movement, predicting key neurologic states like sedation and cerebral dysfunction.
Why this matters: Every year, over 300,000 newborns enter NICUs in the United States, and neurologic deterioration in these vulnerable patients can be unpredictable and devastating.
Pose AI uses existing NICU cameras for continuous, non-invasive monitoring, offering around 90% accuracy in spotting early neurologic changes. Unlike EEGs, which need specialized staff and equipment, this AI tool is designed to run around the clock.
According to Dr. Felix Richter, the study’s lead, Pose AI doesn’t replace human assessments but adds a layer of safety, acting like a neuro-telemetry strip, similar to heart rate monitors.
If widely adopted, it could make early detection of neurologic shifts a standard part of care, potentially saving lives and improving outcomes.
What’s next: With promising results, researchers plan to test Pose AI in other NICUs, aiming to make proactive neurologic care a reality for the most fragile patients
For more details: Full Article
Brain Booster
Which of the following unusual methods can AI use to identify mosquito species in order to help control diseases like malaria?
Select the right answer! (See explanation below)
Opinion and Perspectives
DOCTOR-FREE HEALTHCARE
Inside Forward’s $100 Million Attempt to Reinvent the Doctor’s Office—and Why It Failed

Forward’s ‘CarePods’ to replace Doctors
Forward bet on AI-powered “CarePods” for doctor-free visits. One year and $100 million later, it’s shutting down.
The rise of the CarePod: Launched in 2017 by former Google and Uber executives, Forward set out to modernize healthcare with sleek, membership-based clinics.
In 2023, the company took a bold step, introducing “CarePods”—futuristic, AI-powered kiosks where patients could check vitals, run tests, and monitor health risks without a doctor.
The pivot drew $100 million in funding, with plans to roll out 3,200 pods within a year.
Challenges from the start: Technical issues quickly surfaced. Automated blood draws often failed, and other glitches frustrated patients. Instead of the promised rollout, only five CarePods launched, each costing over $1 million.
Logistical delays prevented expansion into big markets like Chicago, and patient adoption lagged as the pods proved less reliable than expected.
A tech-first approach that fell short: Former employees cite a disconnect between Forward’s tech-driven vision and the practical needs of healthcare.
The focus on automation and doctor-free care didn’t match patient expectations or operational demands, highlighting the challenges of applying high-tech solutions to a field that relies heavily on human interaction and trust.
Forward’s ambitious attempt to reshape healthcare ultimately fell short, closing with many lessons left behind.
For more details: Full Article
Top Funded Startups

Scroll down for the complete list.
Product Pipeline
ALZHEIMER DETECTION
FDA Clears First AI Tool for Safe Monitoring of Alzheimer’s Treatments
icometrix's icobrain aria is the first AI-driven MRI solution authorized by the FDA to detect and assess Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA) linked to new Alzheimer's therapies.
By automating ARIA detection and grading, icobrain aria improves radiologists’ accuracy in identifying these risks, ensuring safer use of amyloid-targeting treatments such as aducanumab and lecanemab.
This clearance marks a critical advancement in Alzheimer's care, enhancing patient safety and supporting informed treatment decisions in real time, especially as disease-modifying therapies reshape care options.
For more details: Full Article
Policy and Ethics
AI MISUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Grieving Father Finds Chatbot of Deceased Daughter Online
Drew Crecente’s daughter, Jennifer, was tragically murdered at 18, and nearly two decades later, he discovered her likeness had been used without consent to create a chatbot on Character AI, allowing users to “chat” with a virtual representation of her.
This experience retraumatized her family, bringing to light serious mental health and ethical issues tied to AI misuse.
The case reveals how AI can harm grieving families, stressing the need for stronger protections to prevent AI from violating privacy and affecting mental well-being, especially when involving trauma survivors.
Drew’s response, including possible legal action, highlights the urgent call for ethical AI guidelines to protect mental health and privacy.
For more details: Full Article
Have a Great Weekend!

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👉 See you all next week! - Bauris
A) By analyzing their wingbeat frequencies
AI can identify mosquito species by listening to their wingbeat frequencies—each species has its own “hum.” By capturing and analyzing these sounds, AI helps in tracking disease-carrying mosquitoes more accurately than ever.
How did we do this week?
ICYMI - Snapshot
💰 Funded Startups Full List
Medeloop raised $15.5M in Series A to expand its AI-driven medical research platform, which enhances research efficiency and accessibility by using AI to streamline processes and speed up data analysis. [Link]
Bluespine raised $7.2M in seed funding led by Team8 to expand its AI-powered platform that helps self-insured employers detect and prevent medical overbilling, addressing the U.S. healthcare system's $300B fraud and waste problem. [Link]
Precision Neuroscience raised $93M, valuing the startup at $500M, to advance its AI-driven Layer 7 Cortical Interface, which enables digital device control through thought by connecting AI with human intelligence. [Link]
Conflixis raised $4.2M to help hospitals reduce risk and optimize spending by using AI to detect conflicts in doctor-vendor relationships. [Link]
Barcelona-based Biorce raised €3.5 million to advance its AI-powered clinical trial platform, "Jarvis," which streamlines data access for faster, more efficient trials. [Link]
Stepful raised $31.5M in a Series B round led by Oak HC/FT to expand its AI-powered healthcare training platform, aiming to address U.S. healthcare worker shortages with affordable, accelerated training and job placement programs. [Link]
MetaSight Diagnostics raised $8M in an oversubscribed Series A round led by aMoon Growth II Fund to advance and commercialize its multi-omics AI-driven diagnostic platform targeting chronic and acute diseases. [Link]
German radiology AI company mediaire raised €12 million in a European-led funding round, led by LBO France, to expand its AI diagnostic solutions and accelerate global growth, following successful implementation in over 350 hospitals. [Link]
Paloma Health raised £2M in pre-seed funding led by Triple Point Ventures to launch NHS-backed autism assessments for children in the UK, reducing wait times to under four weeks and supporting clinicians with AI tools to streamline administrative tasks. [Link]
French deeptech startup Theremia raised €3 million in seed funding, led by Eurazeo and Salica Investments, to advance its AI-powered platform that optimizes drug efficacy and safety by tailoring treatments to individual patient needs. [Link]
⭐ Major Milestones
GE HealthCare and RadNet are partnering to launch "SmartMammo," an AI-powered mammography tool aimed at improving breast cancer diagnostics by streamlining radiology workflows and enhancing patient outcomes. [Link]
Zeta Surgical received expanded FDA clearance for its brain surgery navigation system, allowing use with more instruments and integration with hospital IT systems, ahead of a planned U.S. rollout and broader launch in 2025. [Link]
SoundHealth launched SONUCheck, an AI tool for real-time nasal breathing assessment via vocal analysis, enabling non-invasive respiratory monitoring. [Link]
Healx has partnered with Sanofi to use its AI-driven platform, Healnet, to identify new rare disease indications for a Sanofi compound, aiming to repurpose the discontinued asset for potential therapeutic uses. [Link]
OMRON Healthcare received FDA De Novo authorization for its AI-powered blood pressure monitors with AFib detection, aiming to make AFib screening accessible during routine home monitoring to reduce stroke risk. [Link]



