Amsterdam’s SkinVision is using AI to save lives from skin cancer

Skin cancer detection: a life-saving mission

Detecting skin cancer early could be the difference between life and death. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), melanoma claims around 60,000 lives globally each year. Identifying the disease early significantly improves treatment success and overall outcomes. Adopting routine skin examinations enables specialists to identify suspicious moles or lesions, ensuring timely recommendations for further evaluation or intervention.

With close to 3 million users worldwide, SkinVision is a medical service provider, promoting early detection of skin cancer through its innovative app. Utilising artificial intelligence, SkinVision makes skin cancer detection accessible and proactive, ultimately aiming to reduce global mortality rates from skin cancer. 

Empowering users with technology

Up until SkinVision came along, getting a skin check was only available through a general practitioner (GP) and then a skin specialist. Costing both time and money, it can lose priority in one's busy life. Fast forward to a world full of smartphones, users of the SkinVision app are able to quickly and easily check their own skin or the skin of loved ones.

Erik de Heus, the now CEO of SkinVision is an experienced entrepreneur with expertise in technology, energy, and healthcare. He worked at Phillips and built Oxxio, a renewable energy provider, before stepping into the CEO role at SkinVision in 2017. 

With a mission to save lives, de Heus’s work with SkinVision is to support people to take control of their skin health. “Many skin issues are missed because people don’t know what to look for, or delay visiting a doctor.” Which is where the app comes in: to put life-saving technology into the hands of everyday people. 

How does the app work?

SkinVision’s app combines supervised AI with expertise from a global team of dermatologists to enhance trust and accuracy in skin cancer detection. SkinVision has a sensitivity of over 90% in detecting skin cancer, accurately identifying more than 9 out of 10 cases. Users upload photos, which are automatically captured by the app and immediately analysed. 

Results guide users to either monitor the issue or visit a doctor.  SkinVision also ensures the right people are directed to a doctor while avoiding unnecessary visits. 

The app acts as a virtual assistant, reminding users to perform routine skin checks and providing simple, educational prompts every three months — just as a dermatologist would recommend. 

AI’s vast potential in the MedTech sector

SkinVision isn’t just about detection; it’s about creating habits for proactive health. And AI’s vast potential is on de Heus’s radar. 

Raising awareness is equally key, de Heus highlights an alarming statistic: “More people die from skin cancer than from traffic accidents. It's an eye-opening statistic, not meant to instil fear, but to raise awareness of how simple it can be to monitor your skin.”

Amsterdam is a city that grows global tech

SkinVision chose Amsterdam as its headquarters due to its appeal to an international workforce, who, De Heus notes, flock to the city to enjoy the work-life balance, enticing social culture and general livable city atmosphere. de Heus recognises that building a global technology solution requires diverse global teams. “Global companies are built by global teams that bring diverse international perspectives and create a truly global culture. This is a key quality we seek in the labour market. ”

Amsterdam’s international reputation, thriving health tech sector, and access to conferences also played a key role, according to Erik De Heus. The city’s modern infrastructure and professional environment offered a balance between practicality and affordability when the company established its base five years ago.

Vision for the future

Looking ahead, de Heus anticipates the healthcare systems will continue to evolve, with increasing AI adoption driving efficiency and meeting growing patient demands. As technology evolves, so will the options for new diseases that AI will monitor. 

These are some of the reasons behind SkinVision’s plans to expand into new markets like the US and address additional skin diseases as technology progresses, aiming to enhance healthcare effectiveness.“SkinVision is available worldwide, except in the US. We are working on FDA approval next year, which is exciting and keeping us busy”.

SkinVision’s journey from Amsterdam’s NDSM district to a global stage illustrates how innovative technology can tackle critical health challenges. Using innovative AI technology, the company is redefining the fight against skin cancer, focusing on prevention and early detection to save lives.