This Month's Latest Tech News in Rochester, MN - Saturday May 31st 2025 Edition

Rochester's technology scene reached new heights this May as the Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate concluded its 30-week program, showcasing 15 global AI-driven health tech startups dedicated to transforming patient care - from rapid AI-guided ultrasounds to personalized menopause support and innovations in early cancer detection.

The accelerator equips companies with mentorship, access to Mayo's de-identified clinical data, and product validation, a strategy highlighted in the official overview of Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate.

In a statement from the showcase, senior manager Jamie Sundsbak shared,

"We are incredibly proud to celebrate these 15 companies. Their dedication and accomplishments have raised the bar, and we look forward to continuing to support their efforts as they make strides in advancing patient care worldwide."

Notably, nearly half of the startups focus on preventive and predictive health, and there's a marked rise in Japanese and women's health innovations, detailed by Allhealthtech's coverage of this year's cohort.

The program's growing impact is contributing to a smarter, more efficient healthcare system and is celebrated as a sign of Rochester's pivotal role in global health innovation, as further reported by the AI research community.

Here's a look at some of the standout startups:

Startup	AI Solution
Bloom Standard	AI-powered portable ultrasounds for rapid heart/lung screening
Smart Opinion	AI for improved breast cancer detection in dense tissue
Ystory	Personalized menopause support for women over 35 via app
Voythos	Predictive analytics for life-threatening aortic complications
OPTT	Data-driven platform advancing AI in mental health care

This month, Rochester's tech scene takes center stage as the Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate program thrusts 15 global AI health startups into the national spotlight, reinforcing Rochester's role in digital health innovation.

These startups completed a rigorous 30-week accelerator, gaining exclusive access to Mayo's global, de-identified data network, expert mentorship, and validation frameworks to ready their AI-driven solutions for clinical and administrative deployment.

The cohort reflects emerging trends in healthcare, with nearly half focused on preventive solutions and several addressing women's health needs, such as early breast cancer detection and menopause support.

A spotlight on diversity is also evident, with four companies hailing from Japan, signaling the country's rising influence in healthtech. One standout solution, Bloom Standard's RAPIDscan, delivers one-minute, AI-powered ultrasounds to even remote regions, while others, like Whyze Health and Ethos, bring AI integration to continuous patient monitoring and alcohol-use detection.

As Jamie Sundsbak, Senior Manager, affirmed at the showcase,

“We are incredibly proud to celebrate these 15 companies. Their dedication and accomplishments have raised the bar, and we look forward to continuing to support their efforts as they make strides in advancing patient care worldwide.”

The program's impact is far-reaching - since 2022, it has supported over 45 startups, with Mayo Clinic Ventures investing in more than 100, propelling the $164 billion global healthcare AI market forward.

For more on how Mayo Clinic's accelerator is transforming medicine, review the full 2025 Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate cohort announcement, discover in-depth program highlights and company profiles at South Florida Hospital News' Mayo Clinic health tech showcase recap, or explore detailed startup spotlights at Allhealthtech's healthcare AI industry insights.

Emerging research from the Mayo Clinic is reshaping how clinicians detect heart health risks in women of childbearing age through advanced AI-based electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) and digital stethoscope technologies.

A recent study published in the Annals of Family Medicine demonstrated that AI-ECG achieved an impressive diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.94), while the Eko DUO AI digital stethoscope topped the results with an AUC of 0.98 for early detection of left ventricular ejection fraction below 50% - a key indicator of heart muscle weakness.

Screening among women seen in primary care revealed that these tools could proactively identify previously undiagnosed heart issues, supporting more informed pregnancy planning and risk stratification.

This data builds on global findings - in a randomized clinical trial, AI-enabled stethoscopes helped doctors diagnose twice as many cases of pregnancy-related heart failure compared to standard care, with a 12-fold higher likelihood of flagging serious ejection fraction reduction (Mayo Clinic News Network).

As described in a recent validation study, the integration of convolutional neural networks with digital stethoscope data allows for noninvasive, scalable, and accurate screening - even outperforming standard approaches in resource-limited settings (JACC Advances).

The potential is summarized by Dr. Demilade Adedinsewo:

“Our research findings suggest these AI tools could be used to screen women before pregnancy, allowing improved pregnancy planning and risk stratification, early treatment, and better health outcomes.”

These innovations, now licensed to EKO Health and Anumana, promise to transform preventive care for women - reducing avoidable maternal morbidity and mortality.

Tool	Area Under the Curve (AUC)	Diagnostic Accuracy
AI-ECG	0.94	Strong diagnostic performance
AI digital stethoscope (Eko DUO)	0.98	Even higher diagnostic accuracy

Governor Tim Walz has officially launched Mayo Clinic's historic $5 billion “Bold. Forward. Unbound.” expansion, marking the largest investment in the institution's 160-year history and a transformative moment for both healthcare and Rochester's economy.

Walz, joined by local leaders at the site's bustling demolition zone, emphasized,

“You're seeing transformation in the physical aspect of Rochester, but transformation globally on (the way) health care is delivered.”

Spanning 2.4 million square feet across five innovative buildings and poised for completion by 2030, the project integrates AI and cutting-edge digital technologies to enhance patient care while supporting, not replacing, clinical staff.

In addition to an estimated 6,000 new jobs and $2 billion in economic output, the expansion's flexible infrastructure and unified care neighborhoods will deliver seamless experiences for patients and providers.

According to the Minnesota Governor's Office press release on Mayo Clinic's $5 Billion Expansion, this visionary effort underpins Mayo's global leadership in medicine and research.

Local partnerships and bipartisan legislative backing, as detailed by ABC 6 News coverage of Mayo Clinic Expansion, underpin the collaborative spirit driving this ambitious project.

For a closer look at how Mayo Clinic plans to reimagine the future of healthcare delivery and physical space, read the Chief Healthcare Executive deep dive on Mayo Clinic's Transformation Plan.

The project's major milestones and anticipated impact are summarized below:

Feature	Details
Total Investment	$5 billion
New Building Space	2.4 million sq ft
Jobs Created	6,000+
Project Completion	2030 (Partial openings by 2028)
Key Innovations	AI, Robotics, Flexible Infrastructure

Rochester businesses are rapidly adopting artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency and customer outcomes, with Wilmac Technologies leading the charge. Headquartered downtown, Wilmac works with over 300 clients globally - spanning banking, 911 centers, and retail - leveraging AI to unify multi-channel interactions and deliver holistic customer journey insights.

Recent milestones include their AI-powered compliance recording tools for Microsoft Teams and Zoom, as well as the Continuity Replay Cloud, which improves data security and management for contact centers.

President & CEO Stephen McDonnell emphasizes this community-forward focus:

“When you call your credit card, when you call a call center, our technology is hopefully helping them help you. AI brings that all together and helps the customer… We are really trying to put a focus on Rochester.”

Wilmac's innovation is also reflected in their status among the top 100 fastest-growing companies in Rochester and recognition as a 2025 America's Best Workplace by Best Companies Group.

Their AI solutions continue to drive workforce development, health equity, and digital transformation across the region, as highlighted in the local business community's Geared for Growth series.

The result is a thriving innovation ecosystem propelling Rochester's technology sector to the national spotlight.

Enterprise Minnesota, the state's lone Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), faces a dire budget crisis as federal funding is being redirected toward emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.

The U.S. Department of Commerce, following President Trump's proposal to slash discretionary domestic spending to its lowest level in over half a century, has told Enterprise Minnesota not to reapply for funds that make up 45% of its budget - an estimated $3.2 million.

Without these resources, vital programs supporting 510 rural manufacturers and expansions into new industries may vanish, shrinking Enterprise Minnesota's service reach from 82 counties down to just 12.

Over the past five years, the program's clients have added $696 million in revenue and 6,600 workers. Local business leaders have voiced alarm: “This is the biggest punch you can give in the belly of manufacturing,” said John Norris of Atscott Manufacturing, while Bob Kill, CEO of Enterprise Minnesota, declared,

“We're going to do whatever we have to... It's urgent. It's terrible.”

Congressional and industry leaders have rallied in opposition, emphasizing the crucial role of MEPs in national competitiveness, especially as federal science spending faces dramatic cuts across agencies.

For more details on the shifting funding landscape, see the Star Tribune's report on rural manufacturing at risk, review summarized federal budget impacts across agencies via The New York Times, and read congressional concerns over quantum and science funding in this recent committee hearing summary.

Mayo Clinic continues to redefine breast cancer prevention through innovative AI radiomics research, paving the way for more personalized and effective screening strategies.

In a recent breakthrough, researchers identified six unique radiomic tissue patterns in mammograms - known as phenotypes - that are strongly linked to future breast cancer risk, particularly among women with dense breast tissue, a group historically under-served by standard screening methods.

As Dr. Celine M. Vachon of Mayo Clinic noted,

“Some patterns or phenotypes would be associated with a high risk of future breast cancer and suggest which women may benefit from supplemental screening or prevention strategies.”

This work builds on Mayo's longstanding leadership in early detection: a Mayo study demonstrated that supplemental molecular breast imaging (MBI) was more effective than mammography alone for women with dense breasts, enabling more cancers to be found earlier and more clearly documented.

The table below summarizes core advances converging at Mayo Clinic:

Innovation	Key Outcome	Population Studied
AI Radiomic Phenotyping	Six patterns tied to higher risk; stronger in Black women	30,000+ mammograms
Molecular Breast Imaging	Improved detection for dense breasts over mammography alone	Women with dense breasts
AI-Driven Screening Trials	Purpose-built AI for early detection and risk modeling	Active clinical cohorts

With ongoing support from philanthropic partners and data scientists, Mayo aims to disseminate these AI advances globally - bolstered by an 80% increase in clinical trial enrollment thanks to IBM Watson-powered recruitment strategies.

For more, read the deep dive on AI-driven breast radiomics risk patterns, the findings on molecular breast imaging for dense tissue, and the impact of AI-powered clinical trial matching at Mayo Clinic.

AI-powered ‘agents' are rapidly transforming healthcare operations in Rochester and beyond, driving significant efficiencies for clinicians and health systems.

The Mayo Clinic's recent deployment of its Digital Pathology platform in partnership with NVIDIA and Aignostics is accelerating diagnosis and expediting patient care by digitally linking over 20 million pathology slides with 10 million patient records - a leap from analog workflows that promises faster, more personalized treatment pathways (AI-driven innovation at Mayo Clinic).

This regional momentum echoes national trends, with generative AI and “agentic” platforms from Google Cloud enabling solutions such as nurse agents, post-operative outreach bots, and intelligent clinical research assistants.

These agents automate time-consuming processes - from summarizing patient intake or chart data to parsing research literature and scheduling follow-ups - helping to tackle clinician burnout and workforce shortages.

As explained by Google Cloud's global director for healthcare strategy, “Agentic AI is able to plan for multiple steps ahead, create a goal, and be able to research it.

So really, AI is a true collaborator.”

“The Pathway Assistant is like having a trusted consultant at your side.” - Dr. Darren Migita, Seattle Children's Hospital

According to recent research, two-thirds of US doctors now utilize AI tools, up from just 38% in 2023, while more than half of hospitals deploy predictive models to identify high-risk patients (AI as a healthcare collaborator).

These advances are making high-quality, evidence-based care more accessible and actionable at every step. For more on the practical impact and future directions of healthcare AI agents, see Google's expanded AI partnerships.

Meta's launch of its standalone Meta AI app marks a turning point for social media interactions, seamlessly blending personalized digital assistance with the community-driven nature of platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Debuting at LlamaCon 2025 and powered by Meta's advanced Llama 4 model, the Meta AI app integrates text, voice, and image capabilities, offering users contextual responses by pulling from their profile and content activity on Meta's vast ecosystem.

With features like the “Discover” feed - where users can share, remix, and engage with AI-generated content - Meta AI is fostering collaborative creativity and social connectivity among its now 1 billion monthly active users, a milestone reached just one month after launch and well ahead of competitors like ChatGPT and Google Gemini (Learn about Meta AI's new app experience).

The app prioritizes user control, letting individuals manage or delete stored data and tailor privacy settings, while also supporting advanced full-duplex voice mode for natural conversations - features that extend across Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and other Meta hardware (See how Meta's AI app competes with ChatGPT).

As Mark Zuckerberg shared at Meta's annual meeting,

“A billion monthly actives doesn't seem like it's at scale for us - but that's where we're at.”

emphasizing Meta's ambition to make AI as ubiquitous as social media itself.

For a concise overview of Meta AI's expansion, features, and social impact - including a simple comparison with industry competitors - see the table below and further details in this in-depth analysis of Meta's AI milestone.

AI Platform	Monthly Active Users (May 2025)	Key Features
Meta AI	1 Billion	Standalone app, Discover feed, voice/image generation, social integration
Google Gemini	400 Million	Multimodal AI assistant, strong search integration
ChatGPT	180.5 Million	Conversational AI, standalone and API services

Rochester Institute of Technology and other universities nationwide are feeling the impact after the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) abruptly canceled approximately 430 research grants - valued at nearly $328 million - amid a sweeping policy shift targeting projects on deepfake detection, disinformation, and STEM access for marginalized groups.

The move, prompted by new directives from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and an executive order emphasizing free speech, means NSF will cease supporting research intended to combat “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and related threats, despite warnings from experts about the growing risks of AI-generated deepfakes.

As highlighted in NextGov's coverage of NSF grant cancellations, critics have called the process “unprecedented” and “opaque,” and scientific leaders warn that, in the words of one source,

“they're taking a wrecking ball to everything, and it should ring alarm bells in the community.”

The cuts specifically defund dozens of projects crucial to national election security and the empowerment of underserved STEM students, at a time when 42% of surveyed security professionals report deepfakes already targeting executives and their organizations, as noted in BiometricUpdate's analysis of the looming deepfake threat.

Despite bipartisan legislative efforts, such as the “Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act,” experts assert that ongoing support from agencies like the NSF and DARPA remains “critical” for advancing deepfake detection capabilities (FedScoop's congressional report on deepfake detection funding).

The controversy underscores the ongoing tension between government oversight, research autonomy, and the fast-evolving landscape of AI-enabled threats.

Key Data Point	Details
Number of Grants Canceled	~430
Total Value of Grants Canceled	$328 million
Main Grant Topics	Deepfake detection, AI, STEM equity, disinformation, election security

In a landmark move this May, federal protections for victims of explicit AI deepfakes took center stage with the enactment of the bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act.

Signed into law by President Trump and co-championed by First Lady Melania Trump, the Act criminalizes the nonconsensual online publication of sexually explicit images - including AI-generated deepfakes - mandating platforms to remove reported material within 48 hours and empowering the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce compliance nationwide.

Offenders face mandatory restitution, fines, and prison time (up to three years for offenses involving minors), and platforms failing to act are subject to penalties as unfair trade practices.

These new standards justifiably respond to an alarming surge in deepfake abuse: over 96% of deepfake videos online are nonconsensual pornography, and the number of explicit deepfake images has increased ninefold since 2019.

A current snapshot of evolving policy is shown below:

Law/Action	Scope	Penalties	Platform Requirement
TAKE IT DOWN Act (Federal)	Nonconsensual explicit images/deepfakes	Fines, 2–3 years prison, mandatory restitution	Remove content in 48 hours
Recent State Laws (Tennessee, NJ, IA)	AI-generated explicit images	Felony charges, up to 15 years in prison (TN), fines up to $30,000 (NJ)	As required per state

"With the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deepfakes and other explicit images distributed against their will. This is ... wrong, and it's just so horribly wrong. It's a very abusive situation like, in some cases, people have never seen before. And today we're making it totally illegal." – President Donald Trump

As described by NBC News coverage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act against deepfake pornography, advocates hope these robust federal and state initiatives eliminate loopholes that once let abusers exploit digital platforms with impunity.

PBS NewsHour's analysis on the new federal law against revenge porn and explicit deepfakes highlights broad bipartisan and public support, while Education Week's exploration of the law's implications for schools and vulnerable teens explores implications for schools and vulnerable teens.

These advancements mark a substantial step toward restoring privacy and protection in an AI-transformed digital landscape.

Rochester's AI momentum remains powerful, even as the national policy landscape shifts. The proposed federal 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulation aims to unify standards and foster innovation, but raises concerns about regulatory gaps in areas like privacy and fairness.

Read more about the policy debate in this comprehensive healthcare AI policy discussion.

Meanwhile, Mayo Clinic is accelerating innovation through global partnerships - including major collaborations with Microsoft Research and Cerebras Systems to advance foundation models in radiology and genomics.

These projects promise faster, more accurate diagnoses and truly personalized care. As Dr. Matthew Callstrom of Mayo Clinic states:

“The genomic foundation model represents a significant advancement in personalized medicine... allowing for more precise prediction of disease and treatment response, leading to faster diagnoses and the selection of targeted therapies.”

Mayo's investments are further evident in its AI accelerator, supporting 15 startups this year in fields from early heart disease detection to women's health and mental health tech.

Notably, Mayo Clinic's newly announced foundation models and digital pathology breakthroughs leverage massive datasets and advanced computing to transform patient care.

Rochester's leadership in healthcare AI stands out as policymakers and providers nationwide weigh the balance between speed and safety. For more details on Mayo's transformative AI startup accelerator - and a full list of this year's standout companies - visit the detailed program report on Mayo Clinic's AI startup selection.