Harnessing AI to diagnose chronic diseases. How a Ukrainian startup CheckEye works

In our recurring Who Are These People segment, Vector offers founders an opportunity to discuss their projects, covering aspects such as their products, marketing strategies, monetisation, investments, and business plans. The focus this time is on CheckEye, a Ukrainian startup that uses artificial intelligence to detect chronic diseases and their associated complications early on.

Editor-in-chief Yuliia Tkach interviewed Kyrylo Honcharuk, CEO and co-founder of CheckEye, about the product’s features, promotion, investments, and plans.

Conception

The project has five co-founders:

• Kyrylo Honcharuk, CEO. With over 20 years of experience in digital transformation, IT solutions, and cybersecurity, Honcharuk’s career includes leadership positions at major companies such as VEON, DTEK, and Ukrtelecom. Kyrylo is responsible for the company’s strategy and ensuring the startup’s comprehensive growth through his proficiency in large-scale project management and technical innovation.
• Dmitro Sofyna, CTO. Director of the AI R&D Centre. Dmytro brings more than 10 years of experience creating AI solutions and is the architect of the UME IT ecosystem in Ukraine. He oversees the company’s technological developments and introduces advancements in AI and software development that serve as the backbone of the CheckEye platform.
• Andrii Korol, Medical Director. He is an ophthalmologist who manages the scientific elements of the product. He worked at V.P. Filatov Institute, a large ophthalmology institute in Odesa, and has a strong background in ophthalmological research.
• Mykhailo Shuranov, Strategic Advisor. An expert in public relations and reputation management, with a robust 25-year track record, Shuranov’s professional background includes roles at McDonald’s, Avon, and VEON. He handles media relations and drives brand awareness across international markets.
• Dariia Partas, Global Communications Director. A Strategic Communications Advisor with more than 15 years of experience in international organisations such as BT, VEON, and CNN, Partas oversees global communication strategies, brand development, and engagement with key stakeholders worldwide.

According to Kyrylo Honcharuk, the idea for CheckEye came about in 2021 during a walk in the park. He and Mykhailo Shuranov were discussing emerging technologies and their transformative potential in medicine. Kyrylo was particularly intrigued by the concept of employing AI to diagnose diabetic retinopathy. 

«After some time, the losses I endured in my family due to the hurdles to securing early diagnoses and treatment for chronic conditions, prompted me to take initiative. I understood that I could draw upon my extensive IT background to create impactful technology».

Following his completion of the Global Executive MBA programme at IESE Business School, Kyrylo decided to dedicate his career to advancing innovative medical solutions. This culminated in the creation of CheckEye — a platform that integrates AI with contemporary medicine to promote the early detection of chronic diseases and their complications, with a special emphasis on diabetic retinopathy. 

The project was launched in 2022. In total, the team consists of 24 specialists in addition to its founding members.

Product and audience

CheckEye is an AI-driven platform designed to detect chronic diseases and their complications early on. The product operates as follows:

• The platform can be integrated into existing clinic systems or set up as an independent solution. This enables medical professionals to access screening results directly within their system. 
• A GP or junior medical staff member captures an image of the patient’s fundus, the inner surface at the back of the eye, opposite the pupil. The image is uploaded to the cloud, allowing AI to analyse it and return results in a few minutes.

The product has been through several testing stages, including pilot programmes implemented in six regions of Ukraine. The team commenced pilot programmes in 2024, which were supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health. CheckEye is now embarking on its commercial rollout phase.

The team chooses not to disclose the number of platform users, but notes that they have performed 5,000 screenings. Among its partners include countries across Europe and around the world, including Austria, Germany, Romania, Oman, Malaysia, and Albania. 

The overall target market for chronic illness screening is estimated at around 5 billion euros, covering a demographic of more than 2.5 billion people aged 40 and older. We aim to serve a market of approximately 500 million people across Europe and North America, where primary care and telemedicine solutions are more readily available. 

To start, we aim to focus on a service-based market of about 70 million people, specifically targeting regions that are best positioned for large-scale deployment of our solutions», — explains the co-founder.

The target audience for the product is characterised as: 

• patients facing potential serious health risks due to undetected chronic conditions;
• healthcare providers who can use CheckEye as a diagnostic screening tool; 
• pharmacies, which can introduce value-added services for their customers.

Business model and marketing strategy

CheckEye operates on a B2B2C model. Physicians and pharmacies are offered a monthly subscription of 450 euros per screening point, starting January 2025. This provides users with access to the platform, technical support, and updates. 

CheckEye’s marketing approach emphasises building the brand by collaborating with medical institutions, pharmacies, and drug manufacturers. The team takes part in global conferences and forums, such as the EIT Health InnoStars Awards and the ATTD Tech Fair.

Investments

The company has not disclosed the total volume of investments and grants raised. CheckEye is known to have been launched with the financial support of 3F The initial stage of funding an idea is Friends, Family, and «Fools». , which helped nurture the idea in its initial phases. The platform recently secured its first angel investment from Austria. 

Additionally, CheckEye has received funding from:

• The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development;
• West NIS Enterprise Fund;
• Seeds of Bravery;
• The European Union;
• GIST (Global Innovation through Science and Technology).

To facilitate further development and expand into European markets and beyond, they aim to attract investments and plan to initiate a pre-seed round of 1 million euros.

Plans

«CheckEye aims to greatly extend the range of diseases detectable through our platform in the coming years. At present, our primary focus is on diabetic retinopathy, but we intend to incorporate numerous chronic diseases in the future, including arterial hypertension, glaucoma, neurodegenerative diseases, and more.

We are currently developing a strategy to enter new markets, specifically targeting Europe and North America. We aim to achieve a substantial increase in monthly revenue and introduce our product in three European countries by the end of 2025. 

Developing a go-to-market strategy means expanding into new markets while customising the product for local needs, particularly in terms of integrating with medical systems and ensuring compliance with local regulations.

Our vision is to build a comprehensive global ecosystem for the prevention of chronic diseases, guaranteeing access for all people, regardless of their geographic location or the healthcare resources», — summarises Kyrylo Honcharuk.