UK health startup Juno has been selected for a San Francisco accelerator as it develops an AI assistant for people with chronic illnesses.
Juno was launched by UCL alumnus Isaac Tolley, who studied bioscience innovation and enterprise, and genetics graduate Marshall Gould after both spent years living with chronic health conditions.
The personal AI health assistant is designed for people affected by illnesses including fibromyalgia, long Covid and endometriosis.
The company says it aims to help people understand their health, reduce their symptoms and obtain earlier diagnoses.
Tolley said: “I grew up with chronic sinusitis, and Marshall lives with chronic fatigue syndrome, and we’d both experienced the pain and struggle of waiting months for appointments, years for answers and having to re-explain your symptoms every time you go to an appointment.
“So we wanted to build something that would help people both understand their health and have that support while you’re going through it as well.”
Users can upload medical records and log daily symptoms and biometrics, which are measurements such as heart rate and activity levels.
The app uses this information to build a detailed picture of each user’s medical history and provide personalised recommendations for managing their condition.
Information can also be recorded by voice or text and shared with doctors before appointments.
The company says this can help speed up diagnosis and access to treatment.
Juno was downloaded 150,000 times during its first eight months and received 150,000 five-star reviews on the App Store.
The company was selected for the spring intake of Y Combinator, known as YC, which has previously supported companies including Stripe, Airbnb and Reddit.
The accelerator offers selected companies US$500,000 in return for a seven per cent equity stake.
Its programme included intensive mentoring and a demonstration day in San Francisco intended to help participating start-ups grow.
Tolley said: “Joining YC has been an incredible experience. It’s amazing to be part of this place that’s incubated so many successful businesses like AirBnB, Instacart and Coinbase.
“We’ve had access to this hugely powerful network and direct access to the partners, including many of the people who’ve grown these incredible unicorn businesses themselves.
“Most of all though, this programme has pushed us to think bigger, to be more ambitious and to move faster than we ever could have on our own.”
