News Summary

Craif, a Japanese startup founded in 2018 and spun off from Nagoya University, has raised $22 million in a Series C funding round to further develop its AI-powered early cancer detection software and expand into the U.S. market. The funding round, which brings Craif’s total raised to $57 million, was led by existing investor X&KSK along with U.S.-based Unreasonable Group, marking their first investment in a Japanese startup. Craif’s technology uses microRNA (miRNA) as biomarkers for early cancer detection, providing a non-invasive urine-based test, miSignal, which can detect the risk of seven different cancers. The startup plans to expand this to ten types of cancers and aims to include non-cancerous diseases in the future. With its R&D lab in Irvine, California, Craif is preparing to enter the U.S. market, intending to complete trials and file for FDA approval by 2029. The company has partnered with over 1,000 medical institutions in Japan and serves around 20,000 users. The new funding will help Craif advance its miRNA-based cancer screening technology and strengthen its R&D efforts in the United States.