NEW YORK – BioCaptiva said Wednesday that it has raised £2.1 million ($2.6 million) in new seed funding to further develop its BioCaptis instrument, an apheresis-based cell-free DNA capture device for use in liquid biopsy testing.
Existing investor Archangels led the financing round, joined by Scottish Enterprise, Cancer Research Horizons, and new investor Old College Capital.
BioCaptiva was spun out from the University of Edinburgh in 2021 to commercialize technology developed by two professors, Tim Aitman and Mark Bradley.
According to the company, by filtering cell-free DNA from the blood through apheresis, the BioCaptis platform can capture up to 100 times more cfDNA than a conventional single blood draw. This could increase the types and stages of cancers amenable to liquid biopsy testing and the number of patients who could benefit.
CEO Jeremy Wheeler said in a statement that the new funds will support the completion of its first trial of BioCaptis in humans, as well as preparations for additional studies to support regulatory approval. They will also advance the company's goal of "unleashing the full potential of liquid biopsy in cancer management to improve patient outcomes."