“I want to create a startup that impacts the universe.”Why I
Founded Medmain
I have always been interested in space and physics, and my
childhood dream even was to become a particle physicist.
That all changed, however, when I was hospitalized for a
long period of time due to long-standing kidney troubles at the
age of 18. I decided to pursue medicine and enrolled in medical
school. At the laboratory to which I belonged at school, I came in
contact with programming, and my companions and I became engrossed
with the idea of creating software that aids in the medical field.
Although we still had much to learn, we began developing software
at our own pace and in our own way.
One of the professors in the Mathematical Biology Laboratory saw
one of these – a Cell Tracking System made using machine learning
technology – and explained to us that it could be applicable in
pathological diagnosis. Later, I participated in a pitch contest
overseas and came into contact with a broad range of people. All
of these ultimately led me to founding the startup.
“Possibilities in alleviating the burden on medical practitioners
using the power of technology”
It is said that, in most cases of cancer screening, the final
diagnosis is made using pathological diagnosis. In Japan, there
are only around 2,500 pathologists who perform this critical
diagnosis, and at present, most medical institutions commission
other hospitals, including university hospitals, or testing
centers to perform pathological diagnosis. This means that
patients are required to wait long periods of time for diagnostic
results, which can be an emotional strain, and in some cases,
illnesses progress while waiting for results. In addition, there
are many hospitals at which a single pathologist is in charge of
all pathological diagnosis, which places a heavy burden on the
pathologist. This problem is becoming increasingly serious
overseas as well, and in some regions, it can take months to
receive the results of pathological diagnosis.
PidPort, developed by us, is a type of software that makes use of
AI to conduct speedy and super-highly precise analysis and
assessment of pathological changes in cells and tissue that have
been transformed into image data using our unique technique based
on a type of AI technology called Deep Learning. The software can
detect cancer in just one minute – an astonishing speed. We want
to ensure that no patient anywhere in the world has to go through
the stress of waiting for pathologic results, and we also want to
alleviate the burden on pathologists and medical practitioners due
to the severe labor shortage.
“Using technology to create a world in which necessary medical
care is available anywhere anytime”
I feel that there is still much more room for digitization in the
medical field – and not just in Japan. Looking at the rest of the
world, I feel that there are other places with even more room for
improvement. In fact, the number of Medtech (Medical + Technology)
startups originating from San Francisco and Silicon Valley rises
year-by-year, and the scale of investment continues to increase by
the day. Right in front of our eyes, we are witnessing the birth
of a string of companies, each presenting its own interesting idea
or new value.
Our company is currently developing and promoting business
targeting this global market with PidPort (a pathologic image
analysis system) as our main product. In the future, we think
that, through the power of technology, we will be able to
influence other issues in the medical field as well, while making
sure to stay true to our mission of “using technology to create a
world in which necessary medical care is available anywhere
anytime.”
What we are trying to create is a business capable of aiding in
saving the lives of people around the world. I feel that, if we
are able to achieve that through our work and experiences here, it
will also result in happiness and enrichment for each employee
working in this company. And our goal, as a stage further beyond
that, is to grow Medmain Inc. into a business and company that
“impacts the universe.” We intend to maintain this level of
passion and ambition and continue to create new value on a global
scale together with partners throughout the world.
