Toronto-based startup Asepha AI has closed a $4 million seed funding round to help tackle widespread staffing shortages in U.S. pharmacies using its agentic AI automation platform. The funding round was led by Glasswing Ventures and Core Innovation Capital, with support from Panache, RedBud, MGV, and pre-seed investors Ripple Ventures and Front Row Ventures.
Asepha’s AI platform is designed specifically for pharmacists, aiming to reduce administrative workload by automating routine tasks. With interoperable AI agents, the system seamlessly integrates with existing computer systems via a simple API—crucial for highly regulated industries like healthcare.
Among its standout tools are:
- A prescription entry agent using OCR technology for 96% accuracy in digitizing handwritten prescriptions.
- A call assistant agent that automates up to 70% of incoming pharmacy calls.
- A review agent that flags drug therapy issues.
- A reconciliation agent to detect discrepancies in medication lists.
- A browser navigation agent for real-time admin support.
Pharmacists using Asepha’s platform report completing administrative tasks four times faster, and the company claims a 32% reduction in manual labor costs within the first month of use.
The idea was born from the personal experience of co-founder and CEO Eunice Wu, a doctor of pharmacy who worked across retail and hospital settings in Canada. Frustrated by time-consuming admin duties, Wu sought to create a solution that would allow pharmacists to focus more on patient care.
Her technical counterpart, Can Uncu, Asepha’s CTO, brings deep AI expertise from his time designing the MI300X GPU at AMD.
The company plans to use the funding to scale its engineering and go-to-market teams, and to open a second office in New York City to better serve the U.S. market.
According to Edwin Loredo of Core Innovation Capital, Asepha’s hyper-specialized approach to AI agents directly addresses a pressing healthcare workforce issue and fits with broader demographic trends.
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