{"id":28275,"date":"2025-10-23T11:04:34","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T08:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scroll.media\/2025\/10\/23\/checkeye-interview\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T13:05:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T10:05:27","slug":"checkeye-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scroll.media\/en\/2025\/10\/23\/checkeye-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDoctors Operated During the Day, and Trained Our Algorithm at Night.\u201d How CheckEye Works"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Yesterday, it was announced that Ukrainian startup CheckEye, which <\/span>helps protect vision using artificial intelligence<\/span>, has raised<\/a> $700,000 in investments.<\/span> As the company told <\/span>Scroll<\/span>.media<\/span><\/em><\/a>, the total amount raised now is $750,000 \u2014 a mix of private investments from Austria (including the country\u2019s largest pharmacy, <\/span>Marien Apotheke<\/span><\/em>) and grants or financial support from the EBRD, WNISEF, Seeds of Bravery, the EU, GIST, and the Google for Startups Ukraine Support Fund.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The funds are being used primarily to scale the product across the EU, where the company has already launched two pilot projects. In Ukraine, CheckEye is currently operating in more than 20 medical institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00abCheckEye became the first startup in Europe to conduct a nationwide AI-based screening, and did so during martial law in Ukraine. For me, this is proof that Ukrainian technology can change lives and reduce the burden of chronic disease worldwide,\u00bb said Kyrylo Honcharuk, CEO and founder of CheckEye, in a comment to Scroll.media.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We spoke with Kyrylo Honcharuk about how CheckEye came to be, what makes it unique, and how the newly raised funds will be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kyrylo Honcharuk. Photo credit: Facebook<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Origins of CheckEye<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The idea for CheckEye was born in 2021 out of personal tragedy. \u00abI lost my mother due to a late cancer diagnosis, and my brother passed away from a heart attack at just 35,\u00bb Kyrylo explains. \u00abThat was a wake-up call. We live in a world where technology transforms entire industries, but medicine still often reacts too late. I wanted to build a tool that helps detect diseases in time.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With over 20 years in digital transformation, Kyrylo has seen firsthand how technology reshapes businesses and markets. \u00abAt some point, I realized it was time to use that experience to help preserve people\u2019s health and lives. That\u2019s how CheckEye was born.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Startup Capital and the MVP<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The company was officially registered in January 2022. Its initial funding came from personal resources (FFF \u2014 family, friends, and founders). From day one, CheckEye began collaborating with the Filatov Institute in Odesa, where doctors helped build datasets \u2014 labeling thousands of images to train the AI for maximum accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00abWhen the full-scale invasion began, Filatov\u2019s doctors operated during the day and labeled data for our system at night. It was an incredible act of dedication.\u00bb<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For the first six months, the team worked on an MVP focused on diabetic retinopathy screening. The goal was simple but ambitious \u2014 to prove that AI can truly assist in screening chronic diseases. By mid-2022, during martial law, the CheckEye team launched its MVP in several Ukrainian clinics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image credits: CheckEye<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That launch marked CheckEye\u2019s first real-world success and proof that even under the hardest circumstances, innovation can thrive for the benefit of thousands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00abToday, we\u2019ve conducted over 10,000 screenings and identified more than 1,000 cases of diabetic retinopathy. But the most important thing for me is this: we proved that even in a country at war, it\u2019s possible to create a world-class product that saves lives.\u00bb<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How CheckEye Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CheckEye combines simplicity and power. A patient only needs to take one photo of the retina (fundus) \u2014 the process takes just a few minutes. The image is uploaded to the cloud, where CheckEye\u2019s AI algorithm analyzes it. The doctor then receives a clear, structured report to support the diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The startup began with diabetic retinopathy, a major complication of diabetes and one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. But the vision goes far beyond that. It plans to expand to hypertension, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. The goal is to make one photo provide doctors with a checklist for dozens of potential conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The problem CheckEye tackles is straightforward: millions live for years without realizing they\u2019re ill until it\u2019s too late for effective treatment. CheckEye shifts healthcare from reactive to preventive medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business Model, Pricing, and Market<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CheckEye operates on a subscription model. Clinics and pharmacies pay around \u20ac450 per month per screening point, while private institutions use a per-patient model \u2014 just a few euros per year. This makes screening accessible in both cities and rural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The value proposition is clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n