Shares in Echo IQ Ltd (ASX: EIQ) shot up more than 50% to record highs in early trade after the company announced a strategic investment from and a US commercial partnership with major imaging technology company Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME).
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Shares hitting new highs
Echo IQ shares hit a high of $1.87, up 50.8%, before settling back to be changing hands for $1.72, up 38.7% by mid-morning. The shares have increased from lows of 16.5 cents over the past 12 months.
The company said in a statement to the ASX that Pro Medicus had agreed to invest an initial $10 million in the company through a subscription for secured convertible notes, with the right to subscribe for a further $10 million once Echo IQ had its EchoSolv HF product cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration.
EchoSolv HF is an AI-powered heart failure detection software.
Pro Medicus has also agreed to become a reseller for EchoSolv, "providing potential access to an extensive network of leading US health systems, academic medical centres and enterprise healthcare customers''.
Echo IQ said regarding the deal:
The proposed partnership represents a significant strategic milestone for Echo IQ. Beyond the proposed investment, the arrangement has the potential to provide exceptional validation for Echo IQ and access to a leading healthcare technology platform with an extensive US based customer network, supporting the Company's strategy to accelerate adoption of its AI-powered cardiac diagnostic solutions across the US. Pro Medicus is widely regarded as one of Australia's most successful healthcare technology companies and a global leader in enterprise medical imaging software. Through its Visage platform, Pro Medicus provides mission critical imaging solutions to many of the largest health systems, academic medical centres and integrated delivery networks throughout the US.
Access to markets a key element of the deal
Echo IQ Chief Executive Officer Dustin Haines added:
The execution of this binding Heads of Agreement with Pro Medicus represents a transformational milestone for Echo IQ and a significant validation of both our technology and long-term commercial strategy, while also providing exceptional financial flexibility to accelerate our commercialisation activities in the US. Importantly, this proposed partnership extends far beyond the investment itself. Through Pro Medicus, we have the opportunity to leverage an established healthcare platform, trusted customer relationships and a highly experienced commercial organisation with deep penetration into the US healthcare market. We believe this creates a compelling pathway to accelerate awareness, adoption and commercialisation of EchoSolv across a broad range of healthcare providers.
RBC Capital Markets said in a note to clients that the deal was also positive for Pro Medicus, as "the deal delivers both an economic interest and a product that deepens its cardiology value proposition through the embedding of an AI diagnostic capability directly onto Visage''.
Pro Medicus shares were 1.6% higher at $181.95. RBC has a price target of $195 on the shares.
