Silicon Valley-based medical imaging company, LEADOPTIK Inc., announced today that it has successfully raised $5 million in an oversubscribed series seed funding round. The funding was led by MetaVC Partners, with participation from notable investors including SOSV, Sony Innovation Fund, TSVC, ENEA, Arash Ferdowsi (co-founder of Dropbox), Ray Muzyka (co-founder of BioWare), and others. This substantial capital infusion will propel LEADOPTIK to the next phase of product development, including FDA approval, as they advance towards commercialization.
LEADOPTIK is dedicated to the development of a miniaturized imaging system that will enable groundbreaking real-time imaging deep inside the human lungs, facilitating early detection of cancer. By leveraging nanofabrication and innovative optical metamaterials technology, the company aims to provide surgeons with the ability to visualize objects that are fifty times smaller than what current imaging systems can detect.
Reza Khorasaninejad, co-founder and CEO of LEADOPTIK, expressed his gratitude for the funding, stating, “As a technical CEO, I feel incredibly fortunate to witness how my work on metasurface technology has the potential to enhance people’s health. This funding is a very encouraging step to get us closer to that goal.” Jiang You, co-founder of LEADOPTIK, also expressed excitement about the company’s journey and gratitude for the support of visionary investors who are driving the adoption of this cutting-edge technology for the benefit of patients.
Through the utilization of proprietary optics built from dielectric metasurfaces, LEADOPTIK has successfully reduced the size of optical elements to dimensions comparable to human hair. This unprecedented small size enables the company’s imaging probe to navigate through the narrowest airways, providing real-time imaging and detection of minute tumors. Furthermore, the compact form factor of LEADOPTIK’s probe allows for seamless integration with biopsy needles, enabling real-time guidance during biopsy procedures. This integration is crucial for enhancing the accuracy of biopsies, which are often performed blindly.
Conrad Burke, managing partner at MetaVC Partners, highlighted the significance of investments in groundbreaking solutions like LEADOPTIK that leverage optical metamaterials to drive innovation. The company’s breakthroughs hold the potential to transform healthcare, particularly in areas such as cancer diagnostics, where there is a substantial need for more accurate and timely screening and diagnosis.
Lung cancer is responsible for the highest number of cancer-related deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization. Early detection and diagnosis play a crucial role in improving patient outcomes; however, current approaches fall short in detecting cancer at its earliest stages.
Sony Ventures’ Managing Director-US, Austin Noronha, emphasized the transformative power of LEADOPTIK’s technology in the healthcare landscape. The development of novel imaging technologies to address lung cancer detection exemplifies the potential for technology innovation to revolutionize healthcare and meet the pressing need for more accurate and timely screening and diagnosis.
LEADOPTIK’s successful series seed funding round will propel the company closer to their vision of revolutionizing early lung cancer detection. With their cutting-edge imaging technology and strong investor support, LEADOPTIK aims to make significant strides in the fight against lung cancer and improve patient outcomes through early diagnosis.
