A dermatologist who has developed technology to tackle melanoma has won $25,000 towards his venture in the University of Sydney Business School’s flagship startup accelerator.
The 31st Genesis cohort featured a wide diversity of projects ranging from oat cheese to robot building inspections, but it was Dr Philip Tong who took home the top prize with DermScreen.
Inspired by his experience as a dermatologist, the company’s mission is to improve access, reduce cost
and increase early detection of melanoma – the third-most diagnosed cancer in Australia.
“Melanoma is our national cancer, and it can affect not only older people but also younger Australians as well. Early detection and treatment can be lifesaving, but delayed diagnosis can result in serious
consequences,” Dr Tong said.
“As a young dermatologist, I am passionate about my clinical work, but my impact in improving health
outcomes was confined to my local community.
I want to make a real difference for all Australians, and with DermScreen I’m well placed to enact positive change for our industry and ultimately save lives.
Dr Philip Tong, DermScreen founder
The scarcity of dermatologists in Australia, particularly in rural and regional areas, means access to early
detection for many is limited. DermScreen aims to change that by equipping trained melanographers
(experts in detecting skin cancer and melanoma) with the hardware and software to perform a full-body
skin check within 15 minutes – a scan that is then clinically assessed by a dermatologist at another
location.
While currently only based in Bondi Junction, Dr Tong aims to roll DermScreen out across the country
and guarantee same-week appointments with melanographers to all patients.
“Digitising the skin check process in a way that’s reproducible also allows us to track your skin over time
with a baseline for future comparison. If you use the ABCDE melanoma detection guide, E is for evolution – our technology now lets us objectively assess this,” Dr Tong said.
Defy-Hi Robotics cofounder Abbie Widin with a Building Envelope Access Robot designed for facade
maintenance.
Open to University of Sydney staff, students and alumni, Genesis accepts the best startups twice a year to
accelerate their commercial and social enterprises.
Manager of the Genesis program, James Crowther, said it was a pleasure hosting teams from the
program’s 31st cohort.
“Once again, the competition was fierce. We had a fantastic diversity of founders and ventures, from
robotics and the world’s first cheese made from oats, to our winner: Phil and his startup, DermScreen.
“Phil impressed the judges as did his venture, which we all agreed had amazing potential across the globe.
I’m really looking forward to seeing each of our ten teams continue to push their startups towards
success,” James said.
Genesis members over the years have secured $52 million in funding, created nearly 1,000 jobs, and the
current community boasts over 500 startups involving 1,500 individuals.