Vumedi expands AI learning tools after USD $104m funding

Vumedi has expanded its AI-based learning tools for physicians following a USD $104 million Series B investment from Oak HC/FT.

The updated tools are designed to help doctors find specialist-led educational material more quickly as they try to keep up with a growing volume of research, therapies and treatment approaches. Vumedi's AI draws on more than 100,000 physician-led videos and nearly 5,000 podcast episodes across more than 21 specialties.

More than 150,000 NPI-verified clinicians have used the AI tools since their launch less than a year ago, generating more than 1 million interactions, according to Vumedi. Physicians now spend more than 4.3 million minutes a month learning on the platform.

The figures suggest growing use of digital education tools among clinicians. Over the past 12 months, doctors spent more than 56 million minutes learning on Vumedi, while active clinicians averaged more than 52 minutes of engagement a month.

Users of the AI tools also consume more content than other users. Vumedi reported that they viewed 122% more video than non-AI users and spent 3.5 times more time on the platform.

Funding and expansion

Vumedi said the Series B funding has supported hiring, research and development, product development and outreach. The company also added 20,000 new videos over the past year as it expanded the range of content and formats on the platform.

The business is positioning itself around a distinction between published medical literature and the practical knowledge clinicians share with one another. Its system directs users to time-stamped points in source videos and audio, allowing them to review full explanations from specialists, including procedural methods and treatment sequencing.

Roman Giverts described that approach in comments on the latest product changes.

"AI is making it dramatically easier for physicians to get information. That makes access to real clinical experience more important," said Roman Giverts, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vumedi. "Some of the most valuable knowledge in medicine lives in how experienced physicians actually practice, including how they interpret new evidence, sequence treatments, perform procedures and manage the cases that aren't straightforward. AI gives us a new way to make that collective experience more accessible on Vumedi, so physicians can get to the expertise they need faster without losing the depth and context that make it valuable."

Clinical use

The broader backdrop is a medical system dealing with a growing volume of information. Vumedi said many AI products in healthcare focus on retrieving or summarising published research, while its approach aims to show how specialists apply new evidence in day-to-day practice.

The company cited research showing that the time required for treatments to reach peak adoption has increased from about two to three years to six to seven years. That delay has commercial implications for drugmakers and medical device companies, as well as clinical implications for doctors trying to keep up with new options.

One practising physician said the model's appeal lies in its practical context. "The volume of research coming out has increased significantly, and we no longer have the time to read every single publication," said Dr Mumtu S. Lalla of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre. "Patients are not as black and white as the guidelines sometimes make it seem, so hearing from experts on Vumedi helps contextualize the changes and new medications in the clinic setting. It's really nice that Vumedi's AI draws on those experts' videos, rather than only the guidelines."

Investor view

Oak HC/FT backed the company in the Series B round, linking the investment to demand for concise educational tools in healthcare. The investor manages more than USD $10 billion in assets and has invested in more than 120 portfolio companies.

Andrew Adams set out that view in a statement on the business.

"Vumedi's ability to deliver complex information and education in a trusted, clear and concise way has positioned the company as a leading education destination for providers," said Andrew Adams, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Oak HC/FT. "With its enhanced AI capabilities, Vumedi is even better positioned to deliver greater value to the healthcare community, and we are proud to support the team in this next phase of growth."

Vumedi also said demand from life sciences groups has grown alongside clinician engagement, as drugmakers and biotechnology companies look for ways to help physicians move from awareness of new treatments to routine use.

Vic Clavelli, an Independent Board Director at Vumedi and former North American President for Inflammation & Immunology at Pfizer, said: "Biotech and pharmaceutical innovation succeeds when advances in treatment become everyday care. To do this, industry needs trusted communications platforms that help physicians translate emerging evidence into clinical practice. With these new AI capabilities, Vumedi stands out from traditional media by bringing the voice of the opinion leader close to the physician right when they are making patient care decisions. These AI-enhanced capabilities make that expertise easy to find, so innovative therapeutics can become the standard of care."