Access to ultrasound imaging remains a challenge for many patients, especially in rural and underserved areas where trained sonographers are in short supply. Delayed scans can slow diagnosis and treatment, forcing patients to travel long distances or wait weeks for an appointment. Dopl Technologies is working to address this gap with a remote robotic ultrasound platform that allows qualified sonographers to perform scans from a different location. The company has now secured fresh funding to accelerate product development and move closer to regulatory clearance in the United States.
Dopl Technologies secures $6.3 million in seed funding
Bothell, Washington-based Dopl Technologies has raised $6.3 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round. The round was led by SpringTide Ventures, with participation from WRF Capital, Tacoma Venture Fund, HeartX, Transform Health Ventures, Precursor Ventures, and several additional institutional and strategic investors.
With this latest investment, Dopl’s total funding has surpassed $8 million.
The company will use the new capital to support product verification and validation, clinical studies, regulatory activities, and its initial commercial deployment as it advances its remote ultrasound technology.
Developing a remote robotic ultrasound platform
Founded in 2022, Dopl Technologies develops a telerobotic ultrasound ecosystem designed to expand access to diagnostic imaging. Its platform allows trained sonographers to remotely control ultrasound examinations while working with healthcare professionals at the patient’s location.
The company’s ecosystem includes Traverse, a robotic ultrasound system, Dopl Connect, a secure connectivity platform, and SonoFlex, a workflow management solution that helps coordinate remote imaging services.
Rather than relying on proprietary hardware, the platform integrates commercially available robots, ultrasound systems, cameras and haptic controllers. This approach allows healthcare providers to build on existing clinical infrastructure while supporting remote ultrasound examinations.
Funding will support FDA clearance efforts
Dopl plans to use the funding to prepare its technology for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance process. The investment will help the company complete verification and validation work, conduct clinical studies, prepare regulatory submissions and expand pilot programmes with healthcare providers.
According to the company, it has already completed its FDA pre-submission process and established the 510(k) regulatory pathway for its technology. Receiving FDA clearance will be an important milestone before broader commercial adoption.
Addressing the shortage of trained sonographers
Healthcare providers across the United States continue to face a shortage of trained sonographers, particularly in rural hospitals and smaller medical centres. This workforce gap can delay access to ultrasound services and increase waiting times for patients.
Dopl’s remote operating model aims to help healthcare organisations make better use of available specialists by allowing experienced sonographers to conduct examinations across multiple locations without travelling. The company believes this approach can improve access to diagnostic imaging while helping hospitals use their resources more efficiently.
CareBridge supports hospitals today
While its robotic platform moves through the regulatory process, Dopl already offers CareBridge, a service that connects hospitals with travelling sonographers to provide in-person ultrasound coverage.
According to Dopl Technologies, healthcare providers using CareBridge have reduced patient wait times by up to 90%. The company expects many of these healthcare partners to become early users of its remote robotic ultrasound platform after regulatory clearance.
Looking ahead
The new funding marks an important step in Dopl Technologies’ growth as it prepares its remote ultrasound platform for regulatory review and broader deployment. By combining robotics, secure connectivity and remote clinical workflows, the company aims to improve access to diagnostic imaging for hospitals and patients who currently face limited ultrasound services.
As Dopl continues product development and clinical validation, its focus remains on expanding access to high-quality ultrasound examinations while helping healthcare providers address ongoing workforce shortages through remote care technology.
