Second Heart Inc. Selected for Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' 'ICT Startup League (Support2)' to Aim for Zero Diabetic Foot Amputations!

Second Heart Inc. (Headquarters: Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto Prefecture, CEO: Yukihiro Ishida) is pleased to announce its selection for the "ICT Startup League Support2," part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "Support Program for Emerging Research and Development of Startup Creation" for FY2026. Through this program, our company will promote the "Development of an AI Diagnostic Support Model for Foot Lesions" as our research theme.

Background and Challenges: The Biggest Bottleneck in Scaling - "The Limits of Visual Inspection"

Globally, one person loses a foot every 20 seconds due to diabetes, and the 5-year mortality rate after lower limb amputation rises to a severe 56.6%. Second Heart, founded by medical professionals deeply familiar with clinical practice, has been deploying the remote foot monitoring app "Steplife®" both in Japan and internationally, aiming for a society where everyone can continue to walk on their own feet, regardless of illness.

In its overseas expansion, the company has signed a formal Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with the Social Security Organization of Malaysia (PERKESO) and has been proceeding with demonstrations. However, as the company scales to tens of thousands to millions of users, primarily in Japan and Malaysia, and across Asia, the process of experts visually inspecting the vast number of foot images uploaded daily is becoming a physical limitation (bottleneck).

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Subsidy Project Name: Development of an AI Diagnostic Support Model for Foot Lesions

We will develop an AI diagnostic support model that automatically detects early signs of lesions from foot images taken with a smartphone, and determines the risk of severe progression and performs automatic triage.

Future Outlook: Evolution from Labor-Intensive Operations to "Digital Infrastructure"

Upon completion of this technology, we will augment the capabilities of expert eyes and automate image review tasks that have hitherto relied on manual labor. We estimate that this will enable a system where "safe care is possible for 20,000 patients with only 4 doctors and nurses."

After solidifying the successful model in Japan and Malaysia, we will horizontally expand into massive markets such as Indonesia and India, which face similar challenges, and elevate it into a globally deployable social security infrastructure that eradicates tragic foot amputations from the world.

Company Profile

Second Heart Inc. Location:

Headquarters: 22-9 Katsuryuji Meguriwara, Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto Prefecture

Osaka Branch: 1F Shin-Osaka Iida Bldg., 1-5-33 Nishimiyahara, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture

Osaka Lab: 5-8-6 Minami-ongajima, Taisho-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture

Tokyo Branch: MIRAI-STUDIO, 3-21-7 Kanda-Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

CEO: Yukihiro Ishida Website: https://www.secondheart.co.jp

Group Company

SECOND HEART ASIA Sdh. Bhd. Location: 474648 G-B, BLOCK 2330, CENTURY SQUARE, JALAN USAHAWAN, OFF PERSIARAN MULTIMEDIA, 63000 CYBERJAYA, SELANGOR, MALAYSIA

Director CSO: Yusuke Mori

About the ICT Startup League

This is a support program launched in FY2023, initiated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "Support Program for Emerging Research and Development of Startup Creation."

In addition to R&D funding and hands-on support from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' program, we collaborate with media to widely promote the businesses and initiatives of participating startups. By increasing the number of people who support startups, we also develop it as an ecosystem that accelerates business growth and regional revitalization. Keywords: