Among the companies in the Luminate NY accelerator, VPG Medical Inc. is a bit unique.

While most companies in the accelerator are based around developing hardware products in the optics, photonics and imaging space, VPG is a software company, developing a platform that can be used with built-in smartphone, tablets and computer cameras. In a software atmosphere where virtually every possible use of a phone’s capabilities has been explored, it’s tough to imagine what kind of tech a company could produce to put them in the largest optics accelerator in the world without even having a physical product.

That is, until founder and CEO Jean-Phillippe Couderc explains just what they do.

“What is quite amazing about this technology is that it uses the embedded camera from the smart devices to capture the electrical activity of the heart,” Couderc said. “It actually detects subtle changes in the color of your skin that occurs each time your heart beats.”