ThinkSono GmbH
Entrepreneur First '16London, DE Β· Founded 2016 Β· 7 known investors
ThinkSono makes Guidance, an AI software that uses real-time guidance to help non-ultrasound-trained healthcare professionals perform compression ultrasound scans to detect deep vein thrombosis (DVT) at the point of care. The product is a CE Class IIb medical device marketed to hospitals and healthcare providers in the EU and UK.
Also known as Think Sono GmbH Β· ThinkSono
Founders & leadership
ThinkSono GmbH was founded in 2016 by Fouad Al-Noor and Sven Mischkewitz.
Investors Β· 7
Also in the syndicate Β· 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026ThinkSono GmbH develops ThinkSono Guidance, software that provides real-time artificial-intelligence guidance during proximal compression ultrasound examinations so that healthcare professionals without ultrasound training can acquire DVT (deep vein thrombosis) exam data at the point of care. The workflow described on the company's site consists of three steps β scan, upload and report β with the acquired data sent to qualified clinicians for verification. The company positions the product as a way to compress a DVT diagnostic pathway that typically takes 6β24 hours into an examination completed in roughly 15 to 30 minutes, reducing waiting times and the volume of scans that ultimately return negative for DVT.
The software carries a Class IIb CE mark and is registered in the EU (EUDAMED, manufacturer SRN DE-MF-000034914) and in the UK (MHRA). Company pages state that Guidance is CE IIb marked for clinical use in the EU and UK only and is "not FDA approved," although the company's news index also lists items headlined "ThinkSono Receives FDA Clearance for Ultrasound AI Software for Blood Clots" and "ThinkSono Obtains FDA Breakthrough Device Designation"; the sources available do not resolve this discrepancy. Beyond DVT, the company states it is developing training solutions for other ultrasound AI applications aimed at upskilling non-ultrasound-trained staff to perform key ultrasound scans.
The company maintains a medical advisory board drawn from radiology, vascular surgery and family medicine (including Efthymios Avgerinos, Michael Blaivas, Raham Karimaghaei, Ramin Mandegaran, Glenn Jacobowitz and Ahmed Talib) and a company board that includes the two founders plus Gregg Sando and Herve Cuviliez.
Founding story
ThinkSono was founded in 2016 by Fouad Al Noor and Sven Mischkewitz, who met at the Entrepreneur First (EF) programme in London and shared an interest in improving access to medical diagnostics. Al Noor holds a Master's in Electronic Engineering from the University of Southampton and serves as CEO; Mischkewitz holds a Bachelor's in IT-Systems Engineering from the Hasso-Plattner-Institute in Germany and serves as CTO, leading development of the AI-guided ultrasound technology.
Business model
ThinkSono sells its Guidance medical-device software to hospitals and healthcare providers; the website directs prospective buyers to request a quote or contact the company by email to purchase and deploy the product, and states that implementation can be completed within 24 hours.
Sources indicate direct commercial sale of the Guidance software to healthcare institutions (quote-based procurement via the company), but do not disclose pricing or contract structure.
Traction
More than 1,000 patients scanned in prospective, double-blinded, multi-centred clinical trials across the UK and EU; CE Class IIb mark plus EUDAMED and MHRA registration; trials in hospitals across the UK and EU with expansion into the US through studies with NYU Langone Health, Temple Health, UW Health and Allegheny General Hospital; total funding reported as nearly Β£5 million as of March 2024.
Latest developments
In March 2024 the company closed a Β£2.1 million (EUR 2.4 million) round led by id4 ventures, and in April 2024 announced EU CE Class IIb approval for Guidance. Company news listings additionally report an added Β£4.5M / $6M in funding with expansion across the UK, EU and U.S., FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, a reported FDA clearance, selection in the UK's top 100 AI scale-ups, and multiple US hospital study partnerships.
βΈFull profile β market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
The company describes Guidance as the world's first real-time ultrasound AI software enabling non-ultrasound-trained staff to perform DVT scans, a claim echoed by investor Brandenburg Kapital. The sources do not name direct competitors.
Positioned as the first ultrasound AI to allow clinicians without ultrasound training to perform DVT compression scans at the point of care, with regulatory clearance as a Class IIb device and a workflow that shortens the diagnostic pathway from 6β24 hours to about 15β30 minutes.
Technology
Real-time ultrasound AI that guides the operator to the correct anatomy and probe positioning during a proximal compression ultrasound DVT exam; captured exam data is uploaded and a report is generated, with data reviewable by qualified clinicians. The software is regulated as a Class IIb CE-marked medical device.
Go-to-market
Direct engagement with clinical institutions through demos, free quotes and rapid implementation, supported by clinical evidence from multi-centre trials, clinician testimonials from institutions including Guy's and St Thomas', Oxford University Hospital and Northwell Health, and research collaborations with US health systems (NYU Langone Health, Temple Health, UW Health, Allegheny General Hospital) intended in part to support US regulatory processes.
Hospitals and healthcare providers, in particular emergency departments, radiology and vascular services, and NHS trusts; end users are non-ultrasound-trained healthcare professionals such as nurses, GPs and other non-specialists who perform DVT scans at the point of care.
Geography
Operations described as based in Potsdam, Germany and London, UK, with the product commercially available in the EU and UK and clinical study activity expanding into the United States.
History
Founded in 2016 out of Entrepreneur First in London, the company built its Guidance ultrasound AI software and ran prospective, double-blinded, multi-centre clinical trials across the UK and EU in which more than 1,000 patients were scanned. Brandenburg Kapital has backed the company since 2020. In March 2024 ThinkSono raised Β£2.1 million (reported as EUR 2.4 million) led by id4 ventures, bringing total funding to nearly Β£5 million, and in April 2024 it announced EU approval (CE Class IIb) for Guidance. Company news items also reference an additional Β£4.5M / $6M raise with team and operational expansion across the UK, EU and U.S., US clinical study partnerships with NYU Langone Health, Temple Health, UW Health and Allegheny General Hospital, an FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, and selection among the UK's top 100 AI scale-ups.
Risks & controversies
Regulatory status in the US is inconsistently described across the company's own pages: footers state the product is CE IIb marked for EU/UK only and "not FDA approved," while the news index lists a headline claiming FDA clearance. Commercial availability is limited to the EU and UK, and the evidence base cited is largely company-reported. The company remains dependent on further regulatory milestones, which it cited as a use of proceeds for its 2024 round. Available sources give no revenue, headcount or customer-count figures.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources β announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed β not independently audited.
Timeline Β· 12
launches, deals, and filingsThinkSono obtained EU approval (CE class IIb) for its Guidance ultrasound AI software, described as the world's first ultrasound AI software for blood clots to obtain EU approval.
Round led by id4 ventures with participation from Brandenburg Kapital, Calm Storm Ventures, Dubai Angel Investors, Crowdcube, Cur8 Capital and angel investors including vascular surgery clinicians; proceeds earmarked for regulatory milestones and operational expansion.
Company news headlines report an additional Β£4.5M / $6M raise accompanied by team and operational expansion across the UK, EU and United States.
$6M source β
Allegheny General Hospital announced it was the first in Western Pennsylvania to participate in a clinical trial using ThinkSono's AI to detect DVT in cardiac patients.
ThinkSono partnered with NYU Langone Health to conduct a study of its ultrasound AI guidance software for DVT detection, part of an effort to advance US FDA regulatory processes.
Temple Health joined the U.S. clinical study of ThinkSono's AI diagnostic system for DVT detection.
UW Health announced a clinical study testing AI-guided ultrasound to detect deep vein thrombosis.
Company news listing states ThinkSono received FDA clearance for its ultrasound AI software for blood clots. Note: other company pages state the product is CE IIb marked for the EU and UK and 'not FDA approved'.
Company team page cites the Health.Pioneers Award (associated with CEO Fouad Al-Noor) and the Berlin Brandenburg Innovation Award (associated with CTO Sven Mischkewitz); no dates given.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
βΈResearch sources Β· 8
primary sources listed
- ThinkSono GmbHthinksono.com Β· web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does ThinkSono GmbH do?
- ThinkSono develops Guidance, a real-time ultrasound AI that lets non-ultrasound-trained clinicians scan for deep vein thrombosis.
- Who founded ThinkSono GmbH?
- ThinkSono GmbH was founded by Fouad Al-Noor, Sven Mischkewitz in 2016.
- Who are ThinkSono GmbH's investors?
- ThinkSono GmbH's investors include AI Seed, Brandenburg Kapital, Calm/Storm VC, Dubai Angel Investors, Entrepreneur First.
- Where is ThinkSono GmbH headquartered?
- ThinkSono GmbH is headquartered in London, DE.