Berlin-based health startup Ada Digital Health Ltd. believes it can use artificial intelligence to make healthcare available and affordable to people around the world, and today the company announced that it has raised $47 million to move one step closer toward that goal.

The funding round was led by Access Industries, and it included participation by Cumberland VC and June Fund, whose backers include Google LLC Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler. Existing investors also participated in the round, as did William Tunstall-Pedoe, the entrepreneur and software developer who created the technology behind Amazon Echo. This is Ada Health’s first round of funding, and the company has not disclosed any previous investments it has received.

Launched in 2016, the startup’s AI-powered mobile app “Ada” asks users personalized questions based on their medical information, and then it suggests possible causes for their symptoms, helping users narrow down their ailments and make more informed decisions about their health. According to Ada Health, the app is supposed to work “much like a good doctor would.”

“The future of healthcare lies in a much more patient-centric model where individuals have actionable insights at their fingertips, and doctors and artificial intelligence work together to support patients throughout their healthcare journey,” said Daniel Nathrath (pictured, center), chief executive and co-founder of Ada Health. “We’ve seen incredible traction since launch, receiving countless messages each day about how we’ve helped someone identify an important health issue and get to the right next step in their care.”

Ada is available on iOS and Android in English and German, and the startup plans to add support for additional languages in the near future. According to the company, Ada is now the No. 1 medical app in  more than 130 countries.

Ada Health said its new funding will go toward growing its team of engineers, scientists and medical advisers, and the company also plans to open a new U.S. office that will focus on forming industry partnerships and expanding Ada’s telemedicine and next-steps care services.

“Ada is one of the most exciting companies we’ve seen cutting across health and artificial intelligence,” said Guillaume d’Hauteville, vice chairman at Access Industries, one of the partners. “They’ve developed a unique and highly effective health management solution driven by a team with deep medical and AI expertise and years of technology development. Ada is setting a new standard for health management, and we look forward to partnering with them on this next stage of their journey.”

The health industry has been quick to adopt AI for a wide range of uses, from diagnosing illnesses to streamlining healthcare systems. The field of health AI is becoming increasingly crowded, and Ada Health could have some tough competition ahead.

Photo: Ada Digital Health (from left: Chief Medical Officer Claire Novorol, CEO Daniel Nathrath, Chief Science Officer Martin Hirsch)