Early cancer detection startup Craif raises $22M

Cancer is classified as one of the main causes of death around the world. National Cancer Institute They have reported nearly 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million cases related to cancer in the 2022 world, and projections have shown an increase to 29.9 million new cases by 2040.

CraifIt turned from the University of Nagoya in Japan in 2018, uses Micrna (peaceful) for the development of software to detect early cancer on AI, and has raised $ 22 million in Financing Series C to expand into the US market and intensify its research and development.

Ryuichi onose, co-founder and director of the CRAIF, said Techcrunch in an interview that the company has completed its circle of funding of the series C with an estimate of just under $ 100 million.

X & KSKThe existing investor, has led the latest funding, which has been raised in total to $ 57 million so far, along with an American investor unreasonable group, the first investment in the Japanese startup, Tauns laboratory, Daiwa House Industry and Bank Group Aosor.

Craif’s journey began when he saw how deep cancer had influenced his family, and both of his grandparents were diagnosed with a disease. These personal experiences have encouraged a strong commitment to solve the issue of cancer. Onos and Taaaaaa Yasui, an associate professor at the University of Nagoya, faced Craif just a month after they met. Yasui has created a new method for early detection of cancer using urinary biomarkers.

Early detection of the condition in treatment can be challenging because traditional diagnostic methods such as blood tests can be invasive, which is why some people avoid a regular examination, onose said. In addition, limited access to medical institutions in certain areas, individuals are challenging to easily get cancer testing, accordingly states.

Craif wants to solve these gaps by providing a non -invasive urine based test that allows early cancer detection, even in very early stages, as in phase 1.

“The test can be carried out from the comfort of the patient’s home, and is powered by advanced micro analysis, which makes early detection more affordable and more effective,” onose said. “Our users are health -conscious individuals who are concerned about cancer, but believe it is challenging to commit to conventional projections due to the limit of time, costs and accessibility.”

A few startups creates a platform for early detection of cancer in the industry, such as Grail,, Freenome,, Delphi diagnostics and Clearnote Health.

Craif differs by using a microrn as a biomarker instead of a CFDNA (DNA without cells) such as most competitors and urine use.

“Mirna, who acquired an increased recognition after being associated with 2024. Nobel PrizeHe is known for his deep involvement in cancer biology even in the earliest stages, “he explained.” Unlike Cfnda, calmly proactively excreted by the wounds of cancer, which makes it particularly suitable for early cancer detection. “

Another unique aspect of his product is his use of urine. He said that urine is simple and non -invasive, providing many scientific and practical benefits. There are fewer impurities than other patterns, which make biomarker signals clearer, he added. This helps to reduce all the measurement mistakes, such as those in blood hemolysis and saves money in the tests.

Craif -O’s first product, Misitnal, a test that detects the risk of seven different cancers (pancreas, colorectal, lungs, stomach, esophagus, breasts, ovary) by urinary calm, but creates revenue in Japan. Products are distributed through clinics, pharmacies, sales directly to consumers and corporate wellness programs, providing different sources of revenues that can be expanded, said the company’s executive director.

“We are in partnership with over 1000 medical institutions and about 600 pharmacies in Japan, who are serving about 20,000 users. Our team consists of 73 dedicated employees,” onose told Techcrunch.

The revenue model also offers individual tests and subscriber packages for regular testing, and many users have opted for subscription plans. By the end of this year, he announced $ 5 million in revenue and aims to generate $ 15 million, onose told Techcrunch.

Craig intends to expand the scope of Misitnal to include more than ten different types of cancer in the next year. Furthermore, startup is about to use your technology for early detection of non -clerical diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia.

Craif has its own Laboratory for research and development in Irvine, California, and plans to open another San Diego office to deal with its business operations.

New funding will help the startup enter the US market with its missing, with the aim of completing trials in the US in 2026 and received the approval of the FDA as early as 2027.

The collection of pancreatic cancer samples in cooperation with 30 medical institutions in 15 US countries has already begun.