Ushering in a new era of healthcare
How we got here
Butterfly began with a vision of democratizing healthcare. By creating a window into the human body at an accessible price point, we set out on a mission to make ultrasound accessible to everyone in the world.
Our founder, Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, originated Butterfly iQ from a personal need — as with all his innovations — recognizing the inherently expensive and inaccessible nature of traditional ultrasound when his daughter’s rare medical condition required ongoing imaging. He and our founding team of brilliant engineers set out to break the barriers of cost and complexity preventing universal ultrasound access, guided by leaders experienced in commercializing high-performance medical technology.
In order to disrupt point-of-care ultrasound, we’ve had to build a multi-disciplinary team with expertise spanning consumer electronics, semiconductor design, machine learning and mobile software. And while each member of our highly talented team could have chosen to work anywhere, they have joined us on our journey to bring significant change to the medical community, developing the high-tech device we have created.
Why Personal ultrasound?
There has been no fundamental change to ultrasound technology since 1970.
For decades, medical professionals have been left with cumbersome systems that cost upwards of $50,000 and require at least 3 transducers to scan the entire body. By placing ultrasound on a chip, our team has created the first handheld whole-body ultrasound system for less than $2,000.
Essential medical technology is not available to ⅔ of world.
Even in the developed world, price and lack of expertise are barriers that prevent access to ultrasound, with approximately 4.7 billion people unable to obtain medical imaging. In hospitals worldwide, we can impact the cost of care as we move towards value-based models. In developing countries, ultrasound can be used as a diagnostically superior and safer method than X-ray to diagnose critical global health issues like pediatric pneumonia. Our integrated software platform is paving the way for early detection and remote diagnosis of health issues around the world.
Ultrasound is clinically versatile.
We chose ultrasound because it is a proven medical technology with thousands of applications throughout all stages of human life. The physical exam is moving into a new era, where bedside ultrasound will be an essential component. Medical students around the world are now being taught to see inside the body. Butterfly iQ will arm the next generation of doctors with visual stethoscopes, expanding access beyond the elite professionals that have access to ultrasound today.
What’s next?
Today, we are announcing two steps that bring us closer to our dream of fundamentally changing the practice of medicine and healthcare around the world.
Butterfly’s handheld whole-body ultrasound will be available for order as we begin shipping devices to the tens of thousands of customers who have already reserved a Butterfly iQ. For more details click here.
We are pleased to announce that we have raised $250 million from a syndicate of some of the most well-known and respected investors in the world. This capital will enable us to build our world-class team, and continue to develop disruptive technologies. More importantly, we are humbled to work with partners including Fidelity (our lead investor), Fosun Pharma, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Jamie Dinan, along with our existing investors, who understand the importance of democratizing our life saving ultrasound-on-chip technology to help those that need it most. With their support, we can maximize the societal impact of ultrasound, changing the trajectory of healthcare around the globe.
