Craig Accelerates Early Cancer Detection with New $22M Round | What is generative ai google | Generative ai healthcare mckinsey | Best generative ai certification microsoft | Turtles AI

Craif, a Japanese biotech startup spun out of a Nagoya University initiative, has raised $22 million in a Series C round to expand into the United States. Specializing in early cancer diagnosis using urinary microRNAs and AI, it aims to improve accessibility to non-invasive cancer testing.

Key Points:

• Raised $22 million in Series C, valuation nears $100 million.
• Early cancer diagnosis using urine microRNA analysis.
• Partnerships with over 1,000 clinics and 600 pharmacies in Japan.
• Expansion underway in the US, with clinical trials targeting 2029.

Craif, the biotech startup founded in 2018 as a spin-off of Nagoya University, recently closed a $22 million Series C round, bringing its total raised to $57 million. With a valuation close to $100 million, the company is now aiming to consolidate its international presence, with a primary focus on the United States. Led by investor X&KSK and supported by names such as Unreasonable Group, TAUNS Laboratories, Daiwa House Industry and Aozora Bank Group, the round will allow Craif to strengthen research and development and accelerate commercial expansion. Founded by Ryuichi Onose, now CEO, and Associate Professor Takao Yasui, Craif leverages a patented technology based on the analysis of urinary microRNAs (miRNAs), using AI systems to detect early signs of cancer diseases. MicroRNAs, biomolecules involved in numerous biological processes, are particularly promising for early diagnosis: unlike cfDNA, miRNAs are actively secreted by tumor cells already in the early stages of the disease, making them sensitive and timely indicators. The company’s first product, miSignal, allows you to identify the risk of seven different types of cancer (including pancreatic, lung and colorectal) through a simple urine sample, with the advantage of offering a non-invasive diagnostic method, easily accessible even at home and without the complexity associated with blood sampling. Currently available in Japan, miSignal has consolidated its diffusion through a network of over 1,000 medical institutions and around 600 pharmacies, reaching around 20,000 active users. Craif offers both single tests and subscription packages for regular check-ups, with a growing preference for the subscription formula among consumers who are more attentive to prevention. The startup recorded a turnover of 5 million dollars in 2024, with the aim of tripling revenues by the end of the year. According to what was reported by TechCrunch, Craif will soon expand the range of cancers that can be diagnosed with miSignal, bringing them to ten, and is also exploring the application of its diagnostic platform to neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. To support its American expansion, Craif has already started operations at an R&D laboratory in Irvine, California, and plans to open a sales office in San Diego. It is also collecting biological samples in collaboration with 30 hospitals in 15 US states, with the aim of starting regulatory clinical trials aimed at FDA approval, expected by 2029. Craif’s approach clearly stands out from that of other emerging players such as Grail, Freenome and DELFI Diagnostics, both for the use of miRNAs as biomarkers and for the strategic choice of operating on urinary samples, characterized by a lower presence of impurities compared to blood, which allows for greater analytical precision and a reduction in process costs. The scientific importance of microRNAs has received further impetus after the recognition associated with the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine, strengthening the scientific validity of the technologies used by Craif. The company’s mission remains deeply rooted in the personal history of its founder, inspired by his family’s direct experience with cancer and determined to transform the landscape of early diagnosis with simpler, more accessible and accurate tools.

With the latest funding and the prospect of expansion in North America, Craif continues its growth path in the name of biotechnological innovation and non-invasive diagnosis.