Stories you may like
Early cancer detection startup Craif raises $22M
Tokyo,Japan-[April 28 2025] Craif Inc., a molecular diagnostic company that has developed a miRNA based early cancer detection platform, announced the completion of the 2nd close of its Series C round, bringing total funding for the round to US＄22 million. Including grants and debt financing, Craif has now raised a cumulative total of approximately US$57 million to date.
The round was led by existing investor X&KSK and joined by new participants including Colorado-based Unreasonable Syndicate — the investment arm of the Unreasonable Group, diagnostic kit leader TAUNS Laboratories, Inc., Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd., Aozora Bank Group,and others.” let us know if this works or we need to shorten it.
Craif will use the new funding to expand its R&D and testing services in Japan. In the United States, the company will continue building out its organizational presence and bolstering R&D capabilities to pursue FDA approval and insurance reimbursement.
■ Expanding Presence in the United States
Craif is significantly strengthening its U.S. operations as part of its global commercialization strategy. The company has established an R&D lab in Irvine, California, and plans to open a business office in San Diego. It has already begun collecting pancreatic cancer samples in collaboration with 30 medical institutions across 15 U.S. states. Craif is now accelerating local research and development, as well as commercialization efforts in the U.S., with the goal of obtaining FDA approval and insurance reimbursement.
■ Driving Innovation in Early Cancer Detection
Founded in 2018 as a spinout from Nagoya University, Craif’s mission is to help people live out their natural lifespan by enabling early detection and personalized treatment of disease. Utilizing proprietary AI-driven technology to analyze urinary microRNA (miRNA), Craif launched its early cancer detection test, miSignal, in 2022. The test is designed to identify risk of hard-to-detect cancers, such as pancreatic and lung cancer, at extremely early stages.
Since its Series B funding in 2021, Craif has rapidly scaled operations in Japan. miSignal is now available at over 1,000 medical institutions and 500 pharmacies nationwide, as well as via corporate wellness programs and online platforms. Craif has accumulated over 42,000 biospecimens, with research results published in approximately 60 papers and conference presentations. A recent study validating early detection of pancreatic cancer was featured in eClinicalMedicine, a journal in The Lancet family.
In addition, the company has doubled the size of its certified clinical laboratory and increased testing throughput by over 15 times. In April 2024, Craif initiated clinical trials in Japan to obtain regulatory approval for its software-based diagnostic program targeting pancreatic cancer.
Cancer ranks as one of the top causes of death worldwide. The National Cancer Institute reported nearly 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million cancer-related deaths globally in 2022, with projections showing a rise to 29.9 million new cases by 2040.
Craif, spun off from Nagoya University in Japan in 2018, is using microRNA (miRNA) to develop an AI-powered early cancer detection software, and it has raised $22 million in Series C funding to expand further into the U.S. market and bolster its R&D.
Ryuichi Onose, co-founder and CEO of Craif, told TechCrunch in an interview that the company completed its Series C funding round with a valuation of just under $100 million.
X&KSK, an existing investor, led the latest funding, which brings its total raised to $57 million to date, along with the U.S.-based investor Unreasonable Group, its first investment in a Japanese startup, TAUNS Laboratories, Daiwa House Industry, and Aozora Bank Group.
Craif’s journey started when Onose saw how deeply cancer affected his family, with both his grandparents being diagnosed with the disease. These personal experiences have inspired a strong commitment to help address the cancer issue. Onose and Takao Yasui, an associate professor at Nagoya University, co-founded Craif just a month after they met. Yasui had created a new method for early cancer detection using urinary biomarkers.
Early detection of a treatable condition can be challenging, as traditional diagnostic methods like blood tests can be invasive, causing some people to avoid regular screening, Onose said. In addition, limited access to medical facilities in certain areas makes it challenging for individuals to easily obtain cancer testing, according to Onose.
Craif aims to address these gaps by providing a noninvasive urine-based test that enables early cancer detection, even at a very early stage, like at Stage 1.
“The test can be conducted from the comfort of a patient’s home and is powered by advanced microRNA analysis, making early detection more accessible and effective,” Onose said. “Our users are health-conscious individuals who are concerned about cancer but find it challenging to commit to conventional screenings due to time, cost and accessibility constraints.”
Several startups are creating platforms for early cancer detection in the industry, like Grail, Freenome, DELFI Diagnostics, and ClearNote Health.
Craif differentiates itself by using microRNA as a biomarker instead of cfDNA (cell-free DNA) like most competitors and utilizing urine.
Onose explained that “miRNA, which gained heightened recognition after being linked to the 2024 Nobel Prize, is known for its deep involvement in cancer biology even at the earliest stages. Unlike cfDNA, miRNA is proactively secreted by early cancer cells, making it particularly suitable for early cancer detection.”
Another unique aspect of its product is its use of urine. Onose said urine is easy and noninvasive, providing many scientific and practical benefits. It has fewer impurities than other samples, making the biomarker signals clearer, he added. This helps to decrease any measurement errors, like those from hemolysis in blood, and saves money on tests.
Craif’s first product, miSignal, a test that detects the risk of seven different cancers (pancreatic, colorectal, lung, stomach, esophagus breast, ovarian) using urinary miRNA, is already generating revenues in Japan. The products are distributed through clinics, pharmacies, direct-to-consumer sales, and corporate wellness programs, providing a variety of revenue sources that can be expanded, according to the company’s CEO.
“We are partnered with over 1,000 medical institutions and about 600 pharmacies in Japan, serving about 20,000 users. Our team consists of 73 dedicated employees,” Onose told TechCrunch.
The revenue model offers both single tests and subscription packages for regular testing, with many users opting for subscription plans. It posted $5 million in revenue in 2024 and aims to generate $15 million by the end of this year, Onose told TechCrunch.
Craif intends to broaden the scope of miSignal to include 10 different types of cancers this year. Moreover, the startup is getting ready to use its technology for the early detection of non-cancerous diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders like dementia.
Craif has its R&D lab in Irvine, California, and plans to open another office in San Diego to handle its business operations.
The new funding will help the startup enter the U.S. market with its microRNA-based early cancer detection test, aiming to complete trials in the U.S. around 2029 and file for FDA approval.
It has already begun collecting pancreatic cancer samples in collaboration with 30 medical institutions across 15 U.S. states.
User's Comments
No comments there.