Walter De Brouwer (; born May 9, 1957) is a Belgian-born businessman and semiotician. He is the former CEO of doc.ai and of Scanadu.
Early life and education Originally from Aalst, Belgium, De Brouwer told the Naples Daily News in 2025 that he had become an American citizen. He earned a Master's degree in linguistics from the University of Ghent and a PhD in Semiotics from Tilburg University.De Brouwer, Walter (2004). The biology of language: the post-modern deconstruction and denarration of modern and pre-modern grand narratives. Universiteit van Tilburg, He was a fellow of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge from 2004 until 2010.He was until he left in 2011 for the USA, an entrepreneur in Residence Walter De Brouwer via the Judge Business School; nowadays called the University of Cambridge Business School,
Teaching and board memberships De Brouwer was a lecturer at the University of Antwerp (UFSIA) and the University of Monaco. He is an adjunct professor at Stanford University Medical school (the Clinical Excellence Research Center).
Career
Publisher De Brouwer was the publisher of a Belgian cyberpunk magazine called Wave.
Internet
In 1996, De Brouwer was one of the founders of EUnet. Eunet was sold to Qwest Communications in 1999. He founded the employment website Jobscape.
Starlab
In 1996, along with MIT Media Lab founder Nicholas Negroponte De Brouwer founded Starlab,Kalia, Kirin (August 9, 2000). Belgium: Europe's Overlooked Diamond-in-the-Rough (Part II). Silicon Alley DailyLane, Frederick S. (2003) The naked employee: how technology is compromising workplace privacy, p. 54. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, Bilefsky, Dan (April 2, 2001). Where the deep future is familiar territory The Financial Times an interdisciplinary research center in Brussels, Belgium. Starlab went bankrupt in June 2001.
Scanadu
De Brouwer is co-founder and former CEO of Scanadu, a company founded in 2011 to develop personal health monitoring technology, now part of Healthy.io.
Doc.ai In 2016, De Brouwer and his wife, Sam De Brouwer, founded an artificial intelligence company called doc.ai that focused on digital healthcare. The company's products included an app to help patients manage and analyze health data. In 2020, De Brouwer became the company's chief scientific officer after serving as the original CEO. After doc.ai was acquired in January 2021 by the Atlanta-based digital health company Sharecare, De Brouwer remained as chief science officer.
Snowcrash
In March 2022, de Brouwer co-founded Snowcrash, with backing from Sony Music and Universal Music Group, a platform for trading NFTs from musicians, with initial offerings from Bob Dylan and Miles Davis. De Brouwer's co-founders at Snowcrash are Jesse Dylan, a son of Bob Dylan, and Jeff Rosen.
SoundPatrol
In 2025, De Brouwer and former Disney president Michael Ovitz founded SoundPatrol, a developer of AI software which analyzes and catalogs distinctive musical elements to help identify copyright infringement; the company partnered with Universal Music Group and Sony Music in 2025 to help detect copyright violations in AI-generated music.
Other activities In 2008, De Brouwer set up OLPC Europe, the European branch of One Laptop per Child.Fildes, Jonathan (December 23, 2009). OLPC Unveils slimline tablet PC. BBC NewsHartley, Adam (May 1, 2010). How OLPC plans to give 30 million kids in Africa a laptop by 2015. TechRadar
British publication The Independent reported in 2013 that De Brouwer had helped create over 35 companies, including two that became publicly traded through IPOs.
Bibliography De Brouwer, Walter, The Review of English Studies, Joshua Toulmin in The Analytical Review (Oxford, 1983) De Brouwer, Walter; Ayris, Stephen (1985). Computer Buzz words : Teacher's guide. Wolters Leuven, De Brouwer, Walter (1985). Cybercrud : computer terminology for advanced students of informatics and industrial engineering. Wolters Leuven, Vanneste, Alex; Geens D, De Brouwer, Walter (1987). Het Nieuwe Landschap, Wolters Leuven, De Brouwer, Walter (2004). Echelon: Three can keep a Secret, if Two of them are Dead. Delaware, ASIN B004J3UHGG De Brouwer, Walter (2004). The biology of language: the post-modern deconstruction and denarration of modern and pre-modern grand narratives. Universiteit van Tilburg, De Brouwer, W., Patel, C.J., Manrai, A.K. et al. Empowering clinical research in a decentralized world. npj Digital Medicine 4, 102 (2021). Empowering clinical research in a decentralized world
Publications
External links "I. Am. The Greatest" article by Walter De Brouwer. "How the People Are Taking Over the World" article by Walter De Brouwer. "Medical Devices Allow You to Check Vitals at Home" Wall Street Journal D Live Conference video interview.