Biotech & Health

Apple AirPods Pro granted FDA approval to serve as hearing aids

The iPhone 16 took center stage at Apple’s “Glowtime” event, but the most interesting tidbit came from a different line entirely. Indeed, among a sea of new hardware came an intriguing software update to one already on the market: the AirPods Pro 2. Apple announced that its most premium earbuds would double as an over-the-counter […]

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Neurode wants to treat and track ADHD symptoms through a wearable headband

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects more than 366 million adults in the U.S. alone, according to a 2020 study, but beyond medicating with stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin, there are few alternatives for people who suffer from the disorder. Therapy, education and lifestyle changes are usually also advised, but those avenues can prove difficult

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Heart disease is the world’s biggest killer — this Cambridge Uni spinout is using AI to find new treatments

While artificial intelligence (AI) promises to transform all manner of industries, the biggest game-changing breakthroughs in this new era of data-infused machine intelligence arguably lies in the field of drug discovery. By analyzing vast amounts of biological data, AI can help researchers predict how different chemical compounds will interact with specific targets in the body,

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Apple says AirPods Pro 2 can be used as ‘clinical-grade’ hearing aids

Apple says that the AirPods Pro 2, its latest flagship wireless earbuds, can be used as “clinical-grade” hearing aids. The feature hasn’t been FDA-cleared, however, although the company says that it expects approval “soon.” The new AirPods were announced at the Apple “It’s Glowtime” event. The hearing aid feature, when enabled, boosts specific sounds in

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Neko Health, the body-scanning AI health startup from Spotify’s Daniel Ek, opens in London

Prevention is better than cure, as the saying goes. Today, a splashy startup that has taken that concept to heart — literally and figuratively — is expanding. Neko Health was co-founded by Spotify’s Daniel Ek and Hjalmar Nilsonne with a mission to improve preventative healthcare with annual full body scans and AI-powered insights that can

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Google is working on AI that can hear signs of sickness

Given everything you’ve already heard about AI, you may not be surprised to learn that Google is among other outfits beginning to use sound signals to predict early signs of disease.  How? According to Bloomberg, Google has trained its foundation AI model with 300 million pieces of audio that included coughs, sniffles, and labored breathing,

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PayZen secures $23M Series B, $200M debt facility to grow its “care now, pay later” product

The cost of healthcare in the U.S. has been rising rapidly, but the portion of those costs footed by patients has increased even faster. Just two decades ago, fees paid by patients accounted for only 5% of hospitals’ and doctors’ revenue, but by 2017, those fees made up 35% of revenue. This trend inevitably led millions

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Sequoia-backed Knowde raises Series C at a valuation cut

Knowde, an online marketplace for chemicals and polymers, just closed on a Series C round, TechCrunch has exclusively learned. The San Jose-based startup raised $60 million in a round that values it lower than the $500 million valuation it garnered in its most recent round, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. This round

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Healx, an AI-enabled drug discovery platform for rare diseases, raises $47M

Healx, a U.K. startup using AI to discover new drugs for rare diseases, has raised $47 million in a Series C round of funding co-led by Europe’s Atomico and Silicon Valley-based R42. The company also said that it has received regulatory clearance to start Phase 2 clinical trials for a new drug in the U.S.

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AI-powered Regard nabs $61M to find missed illness, boost hospital revenue

People in tech often say that data is the new oil. That phrase, coined by British mathematician Clive Humby, of course implies that data is valuable. Data about a person’s health can also provide meaningful insights and improve outcomes, but only 3% of patient data is currently used by physicians, according to the World Economic

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