Gnosco merges with Barco's dermatology business and increases pace of expansion
From the left: Daniel Eliasson COO, Johan Heilborn CMO, and Peter Kinhan CEO Dermicus. Photo: Jan Torbjörnsson.
12 September 2022
Belgian based Barco has purchased a majority of shares in Gnosco and will merge its Demetra business, a next-generation skin imaging solution, with Gnosco’s Dermicus business, a leading European teledermatology platform. The combined entity will join forces to help clinicians transform the diagnostic and treatment processes of skin conditions, when and where the patient needs it. The company, named Dermicus, will deliver teledermatology, telewoundcare and digital dermoscopy solutions.
Barco is a global technology company, listed on the Brussels stock exchange, specializing in the development of digital projection and imaging technology. Barco was founded in 1934 and today has over 3,000 employees worldwide. For several years, Barco has been developing its skin imaging platform, called Demetra, which is MDR and FDA approved, as well as advanced analytics and AI models in dermatology. The purpose of the merger is to take advantage of Dermicus’ strong position as a leading digital health platform in teledermatology and Barco’s international presence, AI expertise and financial strength.
A seamless, unique fit
Together, the Dermicus platform and the Demetra skin imaging solution will provide a unique end-to-end offering for both specialist clinicians and collaborative networks of primary care professionals, dermatologists, and wound care specialists. The Gnosco and Demetra teams will combine into a single entity, majority-owned by Barco.
“The synergy between our cultures, mission, and solutions will bring tremendous value to our clients. Gnosco has the experience of leading teledermatology implementations at scale in Sweden and the UK, while Demetra has built a strong client base in dermatology. Together we can accelerate our vision of helping our clients transform the way they diagnose and manage skin conditions,” says Dermicus CEO Peter Kinhan.
Leveraging entrepreneurship and expertise
Both Gnosco and Barco’s Healthcare division were built in close collaboration with leading healthcare providers. This will continue in the future. The focus on entrepreneurship will be maintained by setting Dermicus up as a separate entity, which is majority-owned by Barco, to ensure the global resources and expertise of Barco can continue to be leveraged. Gnosco’s co-founders, Daniel Eliasson and Dr Johan Heilborn, will take on leadership roles as COO and CMO respectively.
“This represents an important next step for Dermicus after years of investment and learning from leading some of Europe’s larger teledermatology implementations. As a combined team we can now expand to new regions and deepen our capabilities in telewoundcare and artificial intelligence and continue to build on our new vision for digital dermoscopy,” says Daniel Eliasson, Dermicus COO. “We are thrilled to be able to grow with Barco as a strong and long-term owner while preserving the entrepreneurial spirit in the company.”
Dermicus will continue to focus on Sweden and Belgium as critical markets for innovation and expansion. Both organizations have worked closely with leading healthcare organizations to develop their products and methods to implementation. “The existing teams will continue and be strengthened with additional hires, while also benefitting from the opportunity to share learning across the client base that spans across Europe, the UK and the US,” explains Dr Johan Heilborn.
About Dermicus
Our mission is to help healthcare providers re-engineer the diagnostic and treatment processes of skin conditions with purpose-built technology and proven implementation methods. The Dermicus platform is flexible and built to be configured to different care settings including hospitals, dermatology practices, primary care centers, pharmacies, nursing homes, visiting nursing. For next generation skin imaging, the company offers Demetra as a handheld digital dermatoscope that helps digitize dermatology practices. The company focuses on delivering solutions for teledermatology, telewoundcare and skin imaging and maintains offices in Sweden, Belgium, and the UK.
For more information, please contact
Peter Kinhan, +32 47 680 34 26, peter.kinhan@demicus.com
Daniel Eliasson, +46 760 405 012, daniel.eliasson@dermicus.com
Also read this Barco press release September 7, 2022 Barco Demetra and Gnosco Dermicus merge into new digital health skin solutions company
LinkedIn (Dermicus), (Barco Health)