Picterus and the EIC Accelerator: Jaundice Checks by Phone

Picterus, founded in Trondheim in 2015, makes Picterus Jaundice Pro, a smartphone app certified as a class IIa medical device in the EU, which estimates a newborn's bilirubin level from a photo of the baby's skin next to a colour calibration card. Jaundice affects most newborns and, if severe and untreated, can cause brain damage or death. Picterus was selected in the EIC Accelerator's March 2023 cut-off and received an EU grant of €2.50 million for a €3.94 million project that ran from September 2023 to August 2025, according to CORDIS. The aim was a platform that lets parents screen babies at home in the first two weeks of life and refers them to health services when needed.

The final report says the Jaundice@Home platform was developed with medical experts and parents, tested for usability in several countries, and made interoperable with health systems, that Picterus Jaundice Pro won registrations in multiple countries, and that "the platform is commercially deployed", according to the CORDIS reporting page. Picterus AS reported revenue of NOK 451,628 in 2025 and a net loss of NOK 31.8 million, according to its accounts at the Brønnøysund Register Centre.

Where Picterus Stands Now

At the end of 2025 Picterus AS had total assets of NOK 60.9 million but equity of only NOK 2.1 million, after an operating loss of NOK 28.7 million. The register lists 16 employees. In 2025 the company set up Picterus Newborn Health, a non-profit to bring screening to low-resource settings, according to its website, which describes a next-generation model launched in 2025 as its "best performance to date". Investors behind the company's losses have not been disclosed in the sources found for this article.

The Technology: Bilirubin From a Photo

Jaundice is usually judged by eye, which the report calls insufficient, or measured with skin meters or blood tests in clinics. Picterus uses the phone camera and a printed colour card to correct for lighting, then estimates bilirubin on its server. The app has been studied in Norway, the Philippines, Mexico, Turkey and Chicago, including a study in dark-skinned newborns. Home use by parents moves screening out of the clinic, which is where the EIC project aimed.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The 2023 award was Picterus's second from the EIC. At the October 2019 cut-off of the EIC Accelerator pilot, under Horizon 2020, it was selected for blended finance for "Smartphone-based monitoring of jaundice in newborns". The grant project ran from March 2020 to August 2022 with an EU contribution of €1.66 million towards a total cost of €2.38 million, according to CORDIS. Its final report says CE certification was obtained in October 2021, studies in Sweden and Uganda were concluded and an FDA application was submitted in July 2022; Picterus's website also dates its first CE-marked device to 2021 to 2022. No EIC Fund investment in Picterus has been announced in the sources found for this article, so whether the equity part of that award was invested is not public.

The 2023 award promised a platform for home screening with referral to health services. It was built, tested for usability and deployed, according to the report, and the app gained registrations in several countries. The report names no health system or customer that has adopted Jaundice@Home, and 2025 revenue of NOK 451,628 shows little paid use so far.

1. Jaundice@Home platformDeliveredBuilt and deployed.
2. Usability across culturesDeliveredStudies in several countries.
3. Regulatory registrationsDeliveredMultiple countries.
4. Commercial uptakeMinimalNOK 0.45M revenue, 2025.

The Money

The EU paid 63% of the project. In 2025 Picterus lost about 70 times its revenue. Total assets of NOK 60.9 million against equity of NOK 2.1 million mean liabilities of about NOK 58.8 million; the free register summary does not show who the creditors are. How it plans to reach sustainable revenue is not public.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Severe jaundice still kills about 114,000 newborns a year worldwide, the project objective says. A validated phone test could catch cases early, at home, and ease pressure on maternity services. Picterus has the certified product and the evidence base; it has not yet found the paying customers to sustain it.

The Verdict

Picterus and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.