The second cohort of the Ready2Scale Acceleration Program is in full swing, offering deep-tech startups across Europe targeted mentorship, access to key resources, and a €60,000 grant to support their scaling journey. One of the standout participants is VoiceMed, an Italian digital health company transforming how we monitor respiratory health—simply by using the voice.
VoiceMed is a digital health company that turns voice and breath sounds into actionable health insights. Using proprietary AI algorithms and vocal biomarkers—a new class of digital biomarkers—they provide a fast, accessible, and cost-effective way to assess lung function through a smartphone. Their clinically validated solution, the Lung Score, analyzes a person’s voice and breathing in under one minute to screen for respiratory issues and monitor lung performance. With over 2,700 patients enrolled in clinical studies and partnerships with hospitals like Humanitas and Ospedale San Camillo Forlanini, VoiceMed is on track to validate their technology at scale.
The following questions are answered by Arianna Arienzo, CEO and Co-founder of VoiceMed.
How did the idea for your startup originate?
VoiceMed was born at the intersection of personal experience, scientific insight, and a global crisis. Arianna Arienzo grew up in a family of pulmonologists and saw firsthand how delayed diagnosis impacts patient outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea crystallized: what if a voice could reveal hidden signs of disease—quickly, remotely, and at scale? Joined by Ayana Martins, a computational biologist passionate about digital health, and Fulvio Cordella, an AI and sound expert, the team began building a new kind of respiratory checkup—accessible through just a smartphone.
What have been your biggest challenges and most significant achievements so far?
VoiceMed faced the complexity of turning sound into science—developing AI models capable of understanding health from breath and voice, and validating this approach clinically. Despite being a startup in a highly regulated field, they’ve:
- Enrolled 2,700+ patients in clinical studies
- Secured partnerships with top hospitals like Humanitas and San Camillo
- Signed a first paid pilot in Italy
- Closed a €475K seed round with EIT Digital and Padda Health
What drives you to continue, even during difficult times?
The team is motivated by the real, human impact of their work—knowing that someone, somewhere, could avoid hospitalization, discover a hidden condition, or simply breathe easier because of their technology. They believe in making healthcare proactive, accessible, and driven by the power of data and voice.
What sets your startup apart from competitors?
VoiceMed is building the first voice-based respiratory screening platform that is clinically validated, regulatory-ready, and scalable. Unlike traditional methods, their solution is non-invasive and remote, requires no hardware, and engages users in a way that encourages adherence and behavioral change. It provides data-driven value across the care continuum for pharma, payers, and providers. They don’t just analyze sounds—they translate them into health actions.
What are your expectations from the Ready2Scale Acceleration Programme, and how do you think it will benefit your startup?
VoiceMed aims to sharpen their go-to-market strategy, connect with mentors, and gain visibility with international investors and healthcare stakeholders. The program provides a platform to accelerate both commercial growth and impact.
Where do you see your startup in one year? And in five years?
In the next year, VoiceMed plans to complete CE Class I certification and expand commercial pilots with pharma. They aim to validate their product in large-scale clinical trials with over 3,000 patients, scale the Lung Score across smoking cessation and respiratory screening use cases, and close their Series A funding round. By 2030, they envision being the global standard in voice-based health screening, offering validated solutions for lung function, asthma, COPD, and early-stage lung cancer detection. Their vocal biomarker platform will be integrated into digital health platforms across the EU and US.
Which books, podcasts, publications, or influencers do you follow and recommend to other entrepreneurs?
The Mum Test is a great book to understand how to ask the right questions to get product-market fit.
VoiceMed is growing and will soon open positions in regulatory affairs, clinical affairs, AI, and signal processing. While the roles aren’t officially published yet, anyone interested in contributing to their mission is encouraged to follow their LinkedIn page for updates or reach out directly via email at contact@voicemed.io.
For more information about VoiceMed, visit https://voicemed.io.