Butterfly Network has launched an AI-powered gestational age calculator in Malawi and Uganda. The tool, integrated into the company’s ultrasound app, calculates gestational age through a blind-sweep scan without requiring image interpretation or specialized training.
The technology was developed by the University of North Carolina with support from the Gates Foundation and trained using data from African populations. The tool allows midwives and other healthcare workers to provide gestational age estimates, enabling clinicians to determine appropriate timing for medications or procedures. Maternal and neonatal mortality rates are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries, which account for 92% of all instances.
The tool has been submitted to the US FDA and is pending review for availability in the United States.
Separately, Butterfly Network completed a Gates Foundation-funded deployment of 1,000 iQ+ handheld ultrasound probes in South Africa and Kenya from September 2022 to December 2024. The program trained over 1,050 healthcare providers and integrated obstetrical ultrasound services in more than 697 public health facilities. As of July 2025, 1.8 million scans have been conducted, averaging 83,000 scans monthly.
Preliminary data from the Clinton Health Access Initiative in South Africa suggests reductions in stillbirths, neonatal mortality, and maternal mortality following midwife-led ultrasound use. Analysis from the Eastern Cape province shows a 1.13% decrease in stillbirths and 20.6% decrease in maternal mortality in the 12 months following training. In Kenya, analysis by Kenyatta University found increased volume of women presenting for antenatal care before 24 weeks and more than 90% patient satisfaction.
Butterfly Network’s newest device, iQ3, has been approved for use in South Africa and Kenya.
