Eye-screening firm Forus Health has received a 21 per cent investment to scale its AI diagnostics across India and abroad.

Forus Health develops ophthalmic diagnostics — tools that detect eye disease — and “oculomics”, which uses eye images to flag wider risks such as diabetes or hypertension. Its devices have screened over 22 million people in more than 75 countries, and its AI-integrated platform has delivered comprehensive eye assessments to over five million patients.

The deal is a secondary transaction intended to support the scale-up of Forus Health’s AI eye-screening platforms and international deployment.

Inviga Healthcare Fund has acquired the 21 per cent stake, its second major investment after Mynvax in 2024, signalling support for India-built AI diagnostics in global markets.

Dr B. S. Ajaikumar, founder of Inviga Healthcare Fund and chair of HCG, said: “Forus Health embodies the Inviga ethos: clinically strong, technologically deep, socially impactful, growth oriented, profitable. This investment is a testament to our confidence in India’s ability to produce world-class healthcare innovations for domestic and international markets. We are delighted to partner with visionary founders like Chandrasekhar (KC) who combine deep insight with execution to make preventive, equitable healthcare a reality.”

K. Chandrasekhar, founder and chief executive of Forus Health, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Inviga as we enter the next phase of our growth. Their expertise in healthcare, operational experience, and insights from a clinician’s perspective are incredibly valuable. Together, we aim to enhance our AI and platform capabilities, utilise our proven ability to innovate in medical devices, and expand our reach both in India and globally. Our mission remains focused on eradicating preventable blindness.”

Rakshith Rangarajan, fund manager at Inviga Healthcare Fund, said: “Our collaboration with Forus is a strategic step intended to facilitate the expansion of a reputed med-tech franchise that is serving a significant market demand through a sustainable and economically sound business model. It reflects our commitment to advancing accessible solutions that address large, unsolved health challenges. The Make in India, Make for India and Make for the World ethos of Forus resonates deeply with our Fund. We’re confident this partnership will drive sustained growth and long-term value creation.”

The burden underscores the need for scalable tools: an estimated 270 million people in India live with visual impairment, much of it preventable; globally, 2.2bn people live with vision impairment or blindness, with over 1bn cases considered preventable or treatable. Forus Health’s 3nethra screening devices and wearable 3nethra specto — a smartphone-operated digital refractor for remote and tele-optometry — target earlier detection and easier access to care.

Virtual reality firm Rendever has secured nearly US$4.5m in grants to tackle social isolation among older adults through immersive technology.

The funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) includes US$3.8m for the Thrive At Home Program and an additional grant to build a caregiver support network in VR. These funds will enable Rendever to bring its technology to the large majority of individuals and caregivers who are ageing in place and lacking structural social support.

The investment continues Rendever’s work alongside the University of California, Santa Barbara, and adds new partnerships with the research organisation RAND and with Right at Home, a home care provider, to bring this technology into the home care market.

Together, they will run studies to test whether VR can build relationships across living environments, reducing social isolation, improving mental health and enhancing well-being across the ageing lifespan. At the same time, Rendever will study the impact of caregiving tools, including its Dementia & Empathy training programme.

“Our Phase II trial has shown the power of VR to effectively build and enhance family relationships across distances – even across country lines. The future of ageing depends on technology that effectively reshapes how we experience these core parts of the human experience as we get older,” said Kyle Rand, Rendever’s chief executive. “We know there’s nothing more holistically impactful than our social health. Over the next three years, we’ll work across the industry to build the next generation of community infrastructure that delivers real happiness and forges new relationships, all while driving meaningful health outcomes.”

Previous work in this NIH line of research has shown that family members experience a significant reduction in stress and depression after a four-week social intervention in Rendever. Recent results show that the positive effects of social VR interventions are increased for families navigating dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Alongside the funding announcement, Rendever is welcoming Sarah Thomas to its board of directors. Thomas is a global expert on ageing, serving as both a thought leader and a venture partner in the ageing technology industry. She has worked with major companies to launch products in new ageing markets and has helped develop membership models that the company says transform the senior living industry.

“I’m honoured to join Rendever’s Board at a pivotal moment for AgeTech adoption,” said Thomas. “Virtual reality is proving its power to combat isolation, improve mental and cognitive health, and elevate quality of life for older adults. I look forward to helping scale Rendever’s impact across senior living and into the home – advancing clinically-validated, engaging, and accessible VR experiences that enable older adults to live fuller, healthier, more connected lives.”

Rendever’s platform is used by senior living operators including Oakmont Management Group, Marquis Health and MBK Senior Living, and by healthcare systems such as UCHealth and Cleveland Clinic. The company has research funded by the NIH and NIA, and commercial partnerships with organisations including AARP and Verizon.

CareScout has completed its purchase of Seniorly, with the adviser network and partners to migrate to the CareScout platform in the coming months.

CareScout said the deal strengthens its direct-to-consumer capabilities and accelerates plans to help families understand, find and pay for long-term care — ongoing support with daily activities such as bathing, dressing and managing medicines.

Seniorly is a technology platform and adviser network that connects families with senior living communities and resources. The companies said the transition to a single platform will be phased in over the coming months.

The price was about US$15m. CareScout is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genworth, which said the purchase was funded from existing holding company cash.