Openwater announced the acceleration of its plans to commercialize its hospital-grade technology platform that integrates semiconductor physics, light, and sound to diagnose and treat diseases at the cellular level. Founded by brain tumor survivor and former Google X, Meta, and One Laptop Per Child executive Mary Lou Jepsen, Openwater has secured $100 million in total funding from new and existing investors. The new and existing investors include Plum Alley Ventures, Khosla Ventures, BOLD Capital Partners, Esther Dyson, and Peter Gabriel.
Openwater’s healthcare platform combines high-resolution infrared imaging, precision-tuned ultrasound, and targeted electromagnetic fields. And this integration enables unprecedented visualization, monitoring, and treatment of biological issues. This technology can destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected, just like how an opera singer’s voice can shatter a specific wine glass without disturbing others.
The company revealed that its preclinical and clinical studies have shown promising results, including shrinking glioblastoma tumors in mice and treating severe depression in humans. And they have collaborations with institutions including UCLA, the University of Arizona, the University of Pennsylvania, and Brown University, which have validated the technology’s potential across multiple medical fields.
Openwater’s open-source strategy aims to accelerate medical innovation by reducing complex medical device regulatory time and costs. And this strategy could reduce time to market from 13 years to under 3 years, and from $658 million1,2 to around $10 million. By utilizing consumer electronics manufacturing processes, Openwater is addressing the challenge of making advanced medical capabilities more accessible and affordable globally.
Renowned musician, human rights activist, and investor Peter Gabriel played a major role in Openwater’s inception. Gabriel had encouraged Jepsen to set out on her own and even named the company Openwater. Plus, he has been an active investor and close advisor. Openwater is part of his vision of affordable, cutting-edge healthcare for the home.
KEY QUOTES:
“As a brain tumor survivor, I’m not just developing technology; I’m fighting for my life and the lives of millions like me. We’ve shrunk brain tumors and treated depression using lower intensity sound waves than fetal ultrasounds.”
“The human body is an incredible machine, but like any machine, it needs the right tools for maintenance and repair. With Openwater, we’re creating those tools, using the fundamental forces of nature – light and sound – to diagnose and heal at the cellular level. Our goal is nothing less than democratizing advanced healthcare, making it accessible to everyone, everywhere.”
- Mary Lou Jepsen, Openwater’s founder and Chief Executive Officer
“Openwater represents a rare confluence of transformative technology, market readiness, and global impact potential. By leveraging existing consumer electronics supply chains and an open-source model, Openwater is positioned to scale quickly and cost-effectively. This could dramatically compress the typical timeline for medical innovation, potentially saving millions of lives and billions of dollars in healthcare costs. In a market hungry for affordable, accessible healthcare solutions, Openwater’s platform addresses critical needs.”
• ⁃ Deborah Jackson, Founder, Plum Alley Ventures
