Craif Inc, a Japanese molecular diagnostics company focused on early cancer detection, has announced raising $22 million in a Series C funding round.
The round was anchored by existing investor X&KSK and backed by Colorado-based Unreasonable Syndicate, diagnostic kit maker TAUNS Laboratories, Daiwa House Industry, Aozora Bank Group, and other investors.
Including grants and debt financing, Craif said it has raised approximately $57 million to date.
Craif, a spin-off from Nagoya University in Japan in 2018, said the fresh capital will support its research and development efforts and the expansion of its testing services in Japan, while also accelerating its US market strategy.
The company has established a research lab in Irvine, California, and is planning to open a business office in San Diego as part of its US commercialisation push.
The startup leverages its AI-driven urinary microRNA (miRNA) platform for early cancer detection, particularly hard-to-detect types such as pancreatic and lung cancers.
Its flagship product, miSignal, launched in Japan in 2022, is now available at over 1,000 medical institutions and 500 pharmacies, as well as through wellness programmes and online channels.
“This funding enables us to expand our testing solutions across Japan and work toward establishing a new model for cancer prevention and early detection,” said Ryuichi Onose, CEO and co-founder of Craif.
The company has doubled the size of its certified clinical laboratory and increased testing throughput by over 15 times. In April 2024, Craif said it initiated clinical trials in Japan to obtain regulatory approval for its software-based diagnostic programme targeting pancreatic cancer.
