The L.A.-based Roddenberry Foundation, named in honor of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, announced Wednesday that health tech startup iCardio.ai is the winner of the organization’s latest $1 million prize for artificial intelligence innovation.
iCardio.ai’s AI-powered platform automates the interpretation of cardiac ultrasounds, providing real-time analysis of heart health and detecting structural heart disease with unprecedented accuracy, according to the foundation.
“iCardio.ai’s groundbreaking technology has the potential to save millions of lives, making it a well-deserved recipient of the Roddenberry Prize,” Rod Roddenberry, foundation board member and son of Gene Roddenberry, said in a statement.
“We’re inspired by Star Trek to boldly go towards a future where today’s diseases are easily detectable and preventable, and it’s an honor to continue my father’s legacy by supporting medical advancements that will make this future a reality.”
The science-supporting philanthropic organization’s Roddenberry Prize is a biannual competition for early-stage ventures using AI “to benefit humanity.”
Founded by a team of health care professionals, Los Angeles-based iCardio.ai combines sophisticated machine-learning algorithms with one of the largest organized datasets of echocardiograms in the world, the foundation said.
The startup’s technology could significantly improve the speed and accuracy of cardiovascular diagnosis, allowing providers to make timely interventions and prevent life-threatening conditions, according to the organization.
“We are honored to receive the Roddenberry Prize,” said Joseph Sokol, co-founder and chief executive of iCardio.ai. “This award will enable us to scale our technology to reach more people, particularly those in regions where cardiovascular care is lacking. Our goal is to empower clinicians with knowledge about their patient and, ultimately, drive higher quality care in patients suffering from cardiovascular disease.”
Alongside winner iCardio.ai, Roddenberry Prize finalist Noetik has received a $250,000 grant to accelerate its work in cancer immunotherapy. Noetik’s AI platform generates precision therapies by using advanced machine learning to predict and develop individualized cancer treatments, the foundation said, adding that the approach has the potential to dramatically improve the effectiveness of immunotherapies for cancer patients worldwide.
According to its website, the Roddenberry Foundation was “inspired by the life and legacy of Gene Roddenberry” and “supports innovation, risk-taking, and experimentation to disrupt existing dynamics, inspire action, and discover new ways to help the world move towards a better future … for a more equitable, inclusive, and harmonious society.”
Gene Roddenberry died in 1991 in Santa Monica at age 70.