CliniCloud gets $5M seed round to launch connected medical kit at Best Buy

Non-contact thermometer--Courtesy of CliniCloud

Connected medical devices are here and will be hitting markets as consumers start buying more for the holiday season.

San Francisco, CA-based CliniCloud plans to launch its first product, a connected medical kit including a stethoscope and non-contact thermometer, at consumer electronics outlet Best Buy in the U.S. and Canada before then.

In order to accomplish that launch, the company has raised a $5 million seed financing. Chinese ISP Tencent led the round, with participation of Ping An Ventures and other individual investors.

"This funding round is an important boost to help us transform the way we think about healthcare in the home," said CliniCloud CEO Dr. Andrew Lin in a statement. "The retail placement with Best Buy will ensure CliniCloud is accessible to everyone who needs our products." Lin and another physician, Dr. Hon Weng Chong, co-founded the startup.

Connected stethoscope--Courtesy of CliniCloud

The company claims that its connected stethoscope will be the world's first such device. The stethoscope plugs into a smartphone, while the thermometer works without skin contact. It's uses infrared technology and is simply held near the head for temperature readings; it connects via Bluetooth. CliniCloud expects to rollout both devices in the coming months.

The devices work with a CliniCloud app that enables storage of data on a smartphone and in the cloud. It also guides the user through a quick or full check-up with prompts for how to use the stethoscope and thermometer. It also facilitates an analysis of vitals such as temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate as well as additional qualitative metrics and notes.

The app is integrated with telehealth service Doctor on Demand to allow a video chat with a physician that includes an analysis of data from the CliniCloud devices. The startup is working on a number of research projects, including ones with the University of California (UCSF) Medical Centre and Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital.

"The mobile internet is now ushering in a new era for health diagnostics. CliniCloud has taken a core tool for family physicians--the stethoscope--and brought it into the modern era," noted Tencent Chief Exploration Officer David Wallerstein. "By allowing health practitioners to remotely listen to an individual's lungs or heart, issues can be identified, treatments discussed, or concerns put to rest. Diagnoses can occur as frequently as the user desires and with great convenience."

- here is the announcement