Australian firms Harrison.ai and Sonic Healthcare have joined forces to launch Franklin.ai, bringing artificial intelligence (AI) to pathology.

Harrison.ai is a clinically led healthcare AI platform and Sonic Healthcare specialises in medical diagnostics. Their Franklin.ai joint venture aims to advance patient care by integrating digital pathology tools into daily clinical practice.

The partners have appointed Stephen Ruffels as chief executive officer of Franklin.ai, bringing 20 years of technology leadership and medical device experience to the venture. Ruffels, formerly Harrison.ai’s chief operating officer, will oversee a team of more than 70 specialist engineers, data scientists and clinical experts by the end of 2023 to develop and commercialise AI methodologies for pathology.

“The global healthcare system has changed, and today we face many new challenges that require ground-breaking technological and digital advancements,” said Ruffels. “We have spent months building the right team to work hand in hand with pathologists to develop AI-powered tools that will augment their pivotal role at the heart of the healthcare system. We are excited to see the partnership between Harrison.ai and Sonic Healthcare grow stronger by the day.”

Franklin.ai will provide pathologists with a digital assistant, using AI technology in the form of tools that enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. The venture combines Harrison.ai’s expertise and AI methodologies with Sonic Healthcare’s global clinical experience and expertise to unlock the potential of digital pathology.

The venture is supported by key hires, including general manager Peter Dassos, formerly director of product at ResMed, and head of talent Celeste Kocabay, formerly with Atlassian and Investible.

“The launch of Franklin.ai marks a milestone in our partnership with Sonic Healthcare,” said Aengus Tran, CEO of Harrison.ai. “Combining the Harrison.ai process and technology platform with Sonic Healthcare’s expertise is what we believe to be the fastest way to achieve our common goal of improving the capacity and quality of pathology services globally.”

Colin Goldschmidt, CEO of Sonic Healthcare, added: “I am delighted with our new partnership, one which will strengthen our digital pathology endeavours on a global scale. Laboratory medicine informs almost every aspect of modern medicine, especially the diagnosis of cancer. With Franklin.ai, we are taking a big step forward in the field of digital pathology, and we look forward to playing a leadership role in this important new area of modern medicine.”

Harrison.ai is a clinician-led technology platform combining human intelligence with AI, building a range of ventures to change the face of healthcare and benefit millions of patients every day.