Introducing Toku Eyes
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a global health concern, often progressing silently until later stages and taking a tremendous toll on patients and their families. Traditional methods for CKD diagnosis rely on invasive procedures, such as kidney biopsies or blood tests, which can be a costly and uncomfortable barrier to early detection.
Toku Eyes have developed MyKidneyAI, a platform that detects CKD using AI to interpret retinal images taken during routine eye exams. This non-invasive approach dramatically reduces patient discomfort and encourages earlier testing. This more affordable and community-focused approach contributes toward equitable healthcare delivery globally.
Who are Toku Eyes
Toku Eyes was established in 2019 by its co-founders, Associate Professor Ehsan Vaghefi and Dr David Squirrell, who are both experts in the field of Ophthalmology. Ehsan’s father lost his sight due to congenital glaucoma. From an early age Ehsan knew he wanted to help those in a similar situation to his father and held an active interest in technology and how it could help patients.
Since spinning out from the University of Auckland, Toku Eyes have launched two AI innovations, using retinal imagery to diagnose patients. BioAge determines a person’s biological age, which can give an indication of their overall health and CLAiR delivers real-time, non-invasive cardiovascular risk assessments.
MyKidneyAI further builds on the principle that the eye is the window to future health, ensuring that CKD is detected early to significantly improve patient outcomes.
Benefits to the innovation ecosystem
Toku Eyes is proposing workshops which hold immense potential to catalyse positive change within the New Zealand Innovation Ecosystem. These workshops will be delivered by Toku top management team and will cover ecosystem connectivity, regulatory compliance, integrating with existing frameworks and cultural sensitivity and inclusivity.
As a company founded and led by individuals from underrepresented communities, the Toku Eyes team have a deep understanding of the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion. They will expand their New Zealand team, prioritising the recruitment of talented individuals from underrepresented communities. They will establish mentorship programs, training initiatives, and community outreach efforts to support the growth and development of our team members and promote diversity in the tech industry.
The company has been working with public and private stakeholders and decision makers in health organisations, government and innovation industries to establish a thriving healthcare AI ecosystem. Professor Vaghefi has been a vocal and influential advocate for the MedTech industry. This grant will further assist Toku's efforts raising the profile of the MedTech industry within the New Zealand innovation ecosystem.
What the panel had to say about Toku Eyes:
Toku Eyes submitted a well-articulated written application, where particular effort was made with the breadth of evidence provided.
The applicant provided benefits that they plan on delivering, which was clearly formalised and prioritised as part of their business activities. The panel commented that this was setting a new standard for contributing to the innovation ecosystem.
The awareness of having connections with the communities that are being targeted, and the sensitivities associated, were noted by the panel and the applicant was commended for this.
Toku Eyes innovations have the potential to revolutionise diagnosis and treatment for millions globally.
How Toku Eyes will be investing their grant
To bring MyKidneyAI to market, the team are planning a number of design and development activities specifically related to digital web experience, creation of customer education materials and improvements to product development processes.
Integration with partners is a key for future success and will be a key focus of investment, along with further digital development.
Legal and regulatory affairs are a huge part of any Healthtech business and Toku Eyes will be investing their grant heavily in ensuring all standards are met and exceeded.
“At Toku Eyes, we are driven by the vision of revolutionising healthcare through non-invasive AI innovations. Being recognised as an Innovation Trailblazer is a tremendous honour and validates our efforts to create equitable solutions for chronic disease detection. This grant empowers us to accelerate the launch of MyKidneyAI, strengthening our impact on patients, partners, and the broader innovation ecosystem while championing diversity and inclusivity in healthtech.”
Ehsan Vaghefi, Toky Eyes, CEO
Visual representation of Toku Eyes' AI platform analysing retinal images
Toku Eyes
Founded: 2019
Sector/industry: Healthtech
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