Developing a voice-based technology platform to detect changes of health conditions
36.5% Equity
COMMERCIAL RELEASE
Description
Developing a voice-based technology platform to detect changes of health conditions
Puretech Ownership1
36.5% Equity
Stage of Development
COMMERCIAL RELEASE
1 As of December 31, 2022, PureTech’s percentage ownership of Sonde was approximately 36.5% on a partially diluted basis. This calculation includes outstanding shares, options, and warrants, but excludes unallocated shares authorized to be issued pursuant to equity incentive plans.
Developing a voice-based technology platform that detects voice changes linked to health conditions
Sonde is developing a voice-based technology platform that detects changes in the sound of voice that are linked to health conditions – like depression, anxiety and respiratory disease – to provide health tracking and monitoring. Sonde’s proprietary technology can be integrated into ubiquitous devices such as smartphones, headphone and smart speakers.
We identified vocal features as a leading non-invasive source of health data, particularly given the evolving technology landscape where voice interactions with devices are rapidly increasing and in-licensed proprietary technology from Thomas Quatieri, Ph.D., at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory in May 2016. We developed additional, novel intellectual property around this concept and helped advance the technology from an academic concept to a commercially focused technology.
In January 2022, Sonde announced the signing of a multi-year strategic partnership with GN Group to research and develop commercial vocal biomarkers for mild cognitive impairment associated with hearing loss.
In December 2022, Sonde raised a $19.25 million Series B investment round led by Partners Investment, with participation from NEOM Company, KT Corporation and existing investors, including co-founders PureTech Health and M Ventures.
Sonde plans to launch more key studies and vocal biomarker product pilots in respiratory, mental health, and cognitive impairment use cases with payor, pharmaceutical, clinical, and digital health partners in 2023.
Note: Sonde has obtained Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval independently or in collaboration with partner institutions that covers all past and ongoing human data collection for research in the U.S. and abroad. We have two board designees on the board of directors of Sonde, but Sonde has its own independent management team. Our role in the development of Sonde’s therapeutic candidates is through our representation on its board of directors and our role as a majority shareholder. Sonde is well-protected with a robust intellectual property portfolio. Sonde was incorporated in February 2015.
Sonde launched Sonde Mental Fitness, a voice-enabled mental health detection and monitoring technology that uses a brief voice sample to evaluate mental well-being, and has initiated research and development to expand its proprietary technology into mental fitness, respiratory disease, and other health, wellness and safety use cases. Additionally, the company’s Vocal Biomarker program has demonstrated the potential to screen and monitor for disease using information obtained from an individual’s voice on commonly owned devices, such as smartphones and smart speakers, and it has the potential to fundamentally change the way mental and physical health is screened and monitored.