Ikerian secures USD 8 million and a strategic partnership with Sanoptis

Ikerian has raised USD 8 million in Series B funding to advance Discovery CONNECT, a platform that optimizes data management in ophthalmology clinics. Lead investor Sanoptis has entered a strategic partnership to distribute the platform across its European network.

Ikerian AG, the parent company of RetinAI, has raised USD 8 million in the first tranche of its Series B financing round led by new investor Sanoptis. The funding will be used to further develop Ikerian’s Discovery CONNECT platform, a clinical solution designed to streamline and automate the management of imaging data in ophthalmology clinics. Alongside the investment, Sanoptis – a leading European ophthalmology network with over 420 clinic locations – has entered into a commercial agreement with Ikerian to integrate RetinAI Discovery’s AI-driven platform into its clinics to support large-scale data management and improve patient care.

Founded in 2017, Ikerian and its subsidiary RetinAI are at the forefront of AI-powered solutions for ophthalmology. RetinAI’s Discovery platform, which has already received both FDA 510(k) and CE certification, provides advanced data and image analysis powered by machine learning. With partnerships from major healthcare companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis and J&J, RetinAI’s platform has steadily gained traction as an essential tool for managing clinical workflows and data transfer in ophthalmology.

Building on this foundation, the new funds will accelerate the development of Discovery CONNECT, innovative software designed to securely and efficiently transfer imaging data across clinical networks. Scheduled for release in early 2025, Discovery CONNECT aims to simplify clinical workflows, anonymize data, and reduce manual processing to support real-world evidence generation and optimize clinical trial recruitment.

This investment follows a USD 6.18 million Series A extension round earlier in 2024, which enabled Ikerian to expand RetinAI’s Real-World Evidence (RWE) database and enhance its AI capabilities in ophthalmology and neurodegenerative diseases. The company is now looking to expand into new areas, including oculomics, with applications in vascular disease and rare diseases.

As part of the commercial agreement, Sanoptis will distribute the Discovery platform to selected clinics within its network. “This partnership with Ikerian marks a significant step in transforming ophthalmology practice,” commented Sanoptis CEO Volker Wendel. “Together, we aim to empower clinicians, enhance workflow efficiency, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.”