Openwater Secures $100 Million Funding to Advance Next-Gen Wearable Imaging Platform for Precision Disease Diagnosis and Therapy

In August, Openwater announced the completion of a new $100 million funding round.This funding round has garnered strong support from a diverse group of new and existing investors, including Plum Alley Ventures, Khosla Ventures, BOLD Capital Partners, Esther Dyson, and music legend Peter Gabriel. Notably, Khosla Ventures was also the first investor in OpenAI.

It is understood that the funds will be used to accelerate the commercialization of Openwater’s next-generation imaging technology platform.This platform deeply integrates semiconductor physics, optics, and acoustics technologies to achieve precise diagnosis and efficient treatment of diseases at the cellular level.。

In 2016, Openwater was founded by Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen, focusing on the research and development frontier of next-generation imaging technology to create portable, wearable medical imaging devices.Its flagship products include non-invasive diagnostic headwear capable of precisely monitoring cerebral blood flow, delivering on-demand imaging with medical-grade resolution, low cost, and a compact, wearable design.

As a former MIT professor and holder of a Ph.D. in Physics, Dr. Jepsen not only holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from Brown University and a Master of Science (MSc) from the MIT Media Laboratory, but has also accumulated 250 patents granted or published to date. Reportedly, she has held senior executive positions at several tech giants, including Facebook, Oculus, Google, and Intel, and has successfully founded four hardware companies, serving as co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project.

In 2016, Dr. Jepsen officially launched the Openwater project, aiming to gain high-resolution insights into the inner workings of the human body and brain through revolutionary wearable devices.

To this end, Dr. Jepsen has carefully assembled an elite team.Dr. Soren Konecky, Chief Technology Officer, brings years of experience in optical imaging and algorithm development for life sciences and semiconductor applications, with a career spanning prominent companies such as PerkinElmer and KLA. Dr. Mark Watson, Vice President of Supply Chain, possesses extensive management experience with top global consumer brands, including Microsoft, Fitbit, quip, and Coca-Cola.

Dr. Peter Hollender, Chief Ultrasound Engineer, has been deeply engaged in the field of ultrasonics since 2009 and successfully founded MicroElastic Ultrasound Systems, which is dedicated to providing innovative ultrasound diagnostic solutions for dermatologists and researchers. Furthermore, Dr. Hollender’s expertise spans multidimensional signal processing, system design, grant application, and the commercialization of medical devices. He has successfully advanced multiple technologies from conceptual stages to clinical validation and has conducted preclinical and clinical studies in collaboration with numerous academic and industry partners.

In fact, to achieve genuine innovation in medical technology, companies must translate cutting-edge scientific discoveries into practical, applicable products and validate their safety and efficacy through clinical research. Therefore, the Openwater team has not only recruited researchers for technological development but also attracted professionals in business operations and preclinical research to jointly advance the clinical study and commercialization of its products.

When Openwater was founded, its founder, Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen, aimed to create a wearable device that enables users to visualize the internal workings of their bodies and brains in high resolution. Imagine an opera singer’s voice shattering a specific wine glass without disturbing others.

Openwater’s core technology platform is similar to the scenario described above. It is understood that,Openwater combines high-resolution infrared imaging, precisely tuned ultrasound, and targeted electromagnetic fields. This integration enables the visualization, monitoring, and treatment of biological conditions, allowing for the selective destruction of cancer cells without affecting the function of healthy cells.

From a product design perspective, Openwater continuously scans the body and brain in a wearable, bandage-sized form factor. Unlike MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), which involves costly equipment and examination fees, Openwater not only significantly enhances the convenience and precision of medical diagnostics but also provides robust support for the early detection and effective treatment of various conditions, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, and internal bleeding.

““As a brain tumor survivor, I am not just developing technology; I am fighting for my life and the lives of millions like me,” Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen stated publicly. “We have shrunk brain tumors and used sound waves with lower intensity than fetal ultrasound to treat depression.””

According to official data disclosed by Openwater, in the field of glioblastoma treatment, Openwater achieved significant tumor shrinkage with a single two-minute treatment in an experiment involving 38 mice with glioblastoma.

In the treatment of depression, Openwater’s 10-minute daily headphone-based therapy enabled patients to achieve significant improvement in Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores within just one week, transitioning from a state of severe depression to remission. After several consecutive weeks of treatment, more than one-third of patients achieved full remission.

Furthermore, in the field of stroke treatment, Openwater’s technology successfully detected large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes with a sensitivity of up to 79% and a specificity of 83%.

To further validate and optimize its technology, Openwater has also collaborated with leading academic institutions such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Arizona, the University of Pennsylvania, and Brown University. In a study involving 25 healthy adults, Openwater’s technological system demonstrated a strong correlation (R=0.79) with transcranial Doppler (TCD) monitoring results during breath-holding tasks, underscoring its significant potential in the field of cerebral hemodynamic monitoring.

To date, Openwater has launched two products: the therapeutic ultrasound unit model Open-LIFU 2.0 and the blood flow unit model Open-Motion 3.0.

The former is a multi-user, multi-application low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) therapy platform.It is understood that the Open-LIFU 2.0 system integrates high-level customization with precise therapy, supporting the selection of complex-shaped targets to achieve accurate positioning for anatomical, functional, and geometric objectives. Its modular ultrasound array covers a broad frequency range, supports diverse pulse parameters, and delivers robust pressure output. Furthermore, the product offers a standard platform along with OEM customization services, complemented by software, AI analysis tools, and industrial design services, comprehensively meeting medical and research needs.

The latter is a diagnostic platform that supports multiple users and applications, utilizing low-intensity near-infrared light.On one hand, the customized laser of Open-Motion 3.0 can provide 100-microsecond pulses with energy up to 400 µJ and a linewidth of <60 MHz, maximizing sensitivity to minute changes in blood flow while minimizing the diffuse laser output delivered to the patient; on the other hand, its megapixel sensor provides high signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity to deep tissues.

“As production volume increases, costs decline exponentially—for every tenfold increase in output, costs drop by a factor of ten,” stated Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen, founder, in an interview. Looking ahead, Openwater will scale up its R&D and manufacturing operations and leverage consumer electronics manufacturing processes to accelerate product time-to-market.

In addition to the Openwater team, numerous research groups worldwide are exploring the use of imaging technologies for disease diagnosis and treatment. For instance, Professor Sheng Xu’s team at the University of California, San Diego, has developed a fully integrated wearable ultrasound patch that enables long-term monitoring of deep tissues in moving subjects. Meanwhile, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a bioadhesive ultrasound patch capable of providing continuous, high-definition imaging of internal organs, including the heart and lungs, over extended periods. As imaging technology continues to mature, it is poised to offer curative possibilities for a broader range of diseases in the future.