In this episode of Asia Tech Lens: Founder Stories, we sit down with Kevin Choi, Co-Founder and CEO of Mediwhale — a Korean healthtech startup using AI to see what doctors can’t.
At just 26, Kevin lost half his vision to glaucoma — a silent, asymptomatic disease. Instead of retreating, he turned that diagnosis into a mission: to build an AI system that could prevent others from going through the same. Together with his doctor, he founded Mediwhale, developing deep-learning models that can predict cardiovascular and metabolic risks from a single image of the eye.
From publishing in The Lancet Digital Health to persuading skeptical doctors and investors, Kevin’s story is one of persistence, humility, and purpose — a reminder that innovation often starts from personal pain.
Hosted by Miro Lu, this conversation explores the human side of AI in medicine: what it means to build trust in a field where precision can save lives.
💡What You’ll Hear About
Losing sight — and finding purpose: how glaucoma inspired Mediwhale’s founding.
Turning the eye into a diagnostic window for heart and metabolic diseases.
Winning doctors’ trust: from rejection to The Lancet Digital Health breakthrough.
“Money is cold”: what Kevin learned from raising US $22 million in tough markets.
Global expansion: why Mediwhale chose the U.S. as its next big leap.
AI beyond ChatGPT: when deep learning sees what humans can’t.
Saving lives in Korea and Dubai — the stories that keep the mission alive.
Leadership lessons: humility, hiring mistakes, and the price of vision.
⏱️ In This Episode
00:00 – The Eye That Started It All
01:12 – Your Journey to Mediwhale
02:30 – Losing Vision Without Knowing It
04:33 – Building a Mission to Prevent “Another Kevin”
05:16 – 0 to 1: What Was the Tipping Point?
07:50 – From Rejection to Recognition: Publishing in The Lancet
10:30 – “Money is Cold”: Raising Capital with Purpose
12:32 – Every Market Is Similar? U.S. Expansion and IPO
15:16 – The AI Hype
18:20 – Healthcare Stakeholders
19:41 – Company Culture and Leadership
22:31 – East vs West: Business Leadership
26:30 – Life-Saving Stories That Prove the Mission
28:49 – Your Biggest Mistake?
📚 References
Mediwhale – AI retinal diagnostics for cardiovascular and metabolic health.
Kevin Choi on LinkedIn
The Lancet Digital Health – Peer-reviewed journal publishing Mediwhale’s early findings.
Glaucoma — Mayo Clinic Overview
Retinal Imaging (Fundus Photography) — Cleveland Clinic
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) — WHO Fact Sheet
American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC)
Perspective Media
Asia Tech Lens Newsletter
🎙️ About Asia Tech Lens
Produced by Perspective Media (Singapore), Asia Tech Lens explores the technology, trends, and people shaping Asia’s innovation landscape — and its global impact.
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