Dopl raises $6.3M to bring remote robotic ultrasounds to rural patients as it pursues FDA approval – GeekWire
Dopl Technologies has announced new funding of $6.3 million to support the development and commercialization of a remotely operated robotic system. A startup based in Bothell, Wash. we have now raised over $8 million.
Dopl is pursuing FDA approval for its platform, which pairs off-the-shelf ultrasounds with commercially available robots. The system facilitates communication between a remotely based ultrasound technician (or sonographer) and the robot, allowing the sonographer to conduct the examination with haptic feedback.
The platform also features video communication to allow conversations between the photographer, the patient and on-site healthcare workers.
The goal, says CEO Ryan James, is to target underserved and often rural communities “to improve access to care and the time it takes for patients to receive that care.”
Although Dopl can eventually create remote links for various health services, ultrasound has widespread applications.
“People say ultrasound is the new stethoscope,” James said. Although perhaps best known for its use in obstetrical exams during pregnancy, the diagnostic tool is also used in cardiovascular screening and can be used to detect stroke, cancer, heart disease and other conditions.
The startup was founded by James, Chief Operating Officer Steve Seslar, and Chief Medical Officer Wayne Monsky, who began researching novel care delivery methods together at the University of Washington in 2017.
The system brings together a range of technologies including fine robotic control of the vehicle, haptics, computer vision, AI, and advanced communication.
The new investment allows the company to hire employees to help it navigate the FDA approval process. Dopl is conducting clinical trials of its product and intends to submit an application for FDA approval next year.
Dopl currently provides in-person ultrasounds using its technology through mobile sonographer services. FDA approval would have allowed it to conduct remote robotics trials and scale its platform.
The startup has a letter of intent as a rural health care partnership that includes 31 critical care hospitals in Washington and has partnerships across the country, including the East Coast.
The company also expects to take advantage of opportunities through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion federal effort that will distribute funds to all states from fiscal years 2026 to 2030. This program guides innovations that increase access to care.
The seed round was led by SpringTide Ventures, joined by WRF Capital, Tacoma Venture Fund (pre-seed round lead), HeartX, Transform Health Ventures, Precursor Ventures, and additional early stage investors.
Dopl was a finalist earlier this year in the 2026 GeekWire Awards.
There is competition in this market, including traditional ultrasound companies and startups. A prominent competitor is AdEchoTech, which was launched in France in 2008 and has since received FDA approval to sell it in the US.
James said Dopl’s haptic technology is next-level, allowing remote technicians to “feel the patient as they scan.”
The remote robotic care delivery industry is growing rapidly, James said, and “represents the next wave of care delivery and a paradigm shift in the way physicians work.”
