Samsung completes €86M takeover of French AI ultrasound startup Sonio

Samsung Medison, a medical gear unit of Samsung Electronics, has accomplished its acquisition of French AI-powered ultrasound startup Sonio in a deal price 126.5bn Gained (€86mn). 

Based in 2020, Sonio has developed an AI assistant that helps docs conduct ultrasound exams sooner and extra precisely. The French startup not too long ago obtained FDA approval for Sonio Detect, a product that makes use of deep studying algorithms to enhance the picture high quality of ultrasound scans in actual time. 

Sonio Detect’s AI mannequin is educated on over one million actual ultrasound pictures. The software program is designed to establish prenatal syndromes and abnormalities that physician’s would possibly’ve missed in any other case. 

Samsung Medison’s CEO, Kyu Tae Yoo, stated Sonio’s software program will “improve” its ultrasound tech choices by “enhancing examination high quality, effectivity, and general affected person care.” 

Samsung Medison has acquired 100% of Sonio’s shares underneath the deal. Nonetheless, the Korean tech large confused that Sonio will stay an impartial firm headquartered in France that may “proceed its business development independently.” Sonio’s merchandise may also stay suitable with all ultrasound units, not simply Samsung’s. 

Sonio final yr secured $14mn in a Sequence A led by Cross Border Affect Ventures.The corporate has raised a complete of $27.2mn, based on Tracxn. 

Led by OpenAI rival Mistral, France has turn into a European hotbed for synthetic intelligence. In Could, Paris-based startup Holistic (now recognized merely as H) raised a whopping $200mn in a spherical that values the corporate at $370mn. 

Nonetheless, whereas France’s AI sector is booming, whether or not it might probably maintain on to that expertise is one other story. Though Samsung is adamant that Sonio will stay “impartial,” in impact, Europe’s simply misplaced one other startup to a international tech large. If France is to really capitalise on its AI increase, it might want to show that Europe can’t solely create prime startups, but in addition scale them.