SquareMind, an AI and medical robotics company based in Paris, has raised $18 million, including some undisclosed pre-Series A funding.
Sonder Capital, a California venture fund co-founded by Fred Moll, led the round. Other investors include the French government’s Deeptech 2030 Fund managed by Bpifrance, Adamed Technology, Calm/Storm Ventures, and Teampact Ventures.
Founded in 2019 by Ali Khachlouf and Tanguy Serrat, SquareMind’s robot, Swan, is the first one to capture standardised, full-body dermoscopic images of the skin. It acts as an augmented dermatoscope, providing a comprehensive view of the skin at the level of detail usually seen when examining individual moles.
In a private exam room, the patient stands before the robot and follows visual and audio prompts. A robotic arm captures images of the entire skin surface within minutes. The process is contactless.
AI software processes the images, tracking new or changing moles over time and flagging possible risks for doctors to review. It also fits into existing clinical workflows. Dermatologists still make all final diagnostic decisions. Swan is FDA-listed as a Class I 510(k)-exempt device in the US and has CE marking in Europe, so it can be sold in both regions.
Currently, automated imaging tools such as Canfield Scientific’s VECTRA WB360, MoleSafe’s total-body photography system, and 3Derm’s remote imaging platform each cover parts of the process. However, none offer both full-body dermoscopic resolution and robotic automation as Swan does, according to SquareMind.
The traditional dermatoscope, a handheld tool for examining individual moles, remains the standard and the manual step Swan wants to improve.
The new funding will help SquareMind grow its commercial, engineering, and customer support teams before launching in the US and Europe. As TFN has reported, French deeptech companies are seeing strong investment right now, including Mistral’s $830 million debt financing for AI infrastructure and Holistic AI’s $200 million round.
