Wellumio

Wellumio is a New Zealand-based medical technology company developing a portable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device for the rapid, point-of-care diagnosis of stroke. The company was co-founded in 2019 by Dr. Shieak Tzeng, Dr. Sergei Obruchkov, Dr. Paul Teal, and Dion Thomas. The founding emerged from over a decade of scientific research at Victoria University of Wellington, adapting portable magnetic resonance technology originally designed for industrial applications. Dr. Tzeng, a former physician and neurovascular scientist, was motivated by his experience witnessing the severe consequences of delayed stroke diagnosis and sought to make advanced neuroimaging more accessible.

Wellumio's core product is the Axana scanner, a lightweight, battery-powered MRI device designed for use at the patient's bedside in emergency departments, ICUs, and other acute care settings. Weighing approximately 50kg, it eliminates the need for specialized shielded rooms, cryogenics, or contrast agents typically required for conventional MRI systems. This portability addresses a major bottleneck in stroke care, where patient transport to radiology departments can cause critical delays. The technology aims to enable diagnosis within the crucial "golden hour" after symptom onset, a timeframe in which treatment is most effective for improving recovery and reducing disability. Currently, fewer than 5% of stroke patients receive treatment within this window.

The Axana device utilizes a proprietary technology called Pulsed Gradient Free Mapping (PGFM), which received a U.S. patent in December 2025. This system allows the device to identify key stroke biomarkers with an accuracy comparable to conventional MRI in just a few minutes. Early feasibility and first-in-human trials have shown promising results, validating the technology's agreement with traditional MRI. Wellumio's business model includes both direct sales and subscription options for healthcare providers, targeting a global stroke diagnostic imaging market estimated to exceed US$8.9 billion. The company has established a U.S. subsidiary in the San Francisco Bay Area to support future clinical trials and commercialization efforts. In February 2026, Wellumio secured $7.28 million in the first close of a pre-Series A funding round led by Nuance Connected Capital to accelerate clinical development and manufacturing scalability.

Keywords: portable MRI, stroke diagnosis, point-of-care, neuroimaging, medtech, Axana scanner, golden hour, acute stroke care, medical device, brain imaging, Pulsed Gradient Free Mapping, PGFM, neurovascular, emergency medicine, mobile MRI, bedside diagnostics, teleradiology, stroke biomarkers, medical imaging, diagnostic equipment