What’s at stake: Auckland University spin-out Luminoma is raising funds on Catalist to complete an investigational study on skin cancers to help train the algorithms within its handheld skin cancer detection device. The device uses raman spectroscopy to shine a light on whether a skin lesion is benign or malignant and what kind of disease it is.
The background: The company spun out of The Photon Factory in 2023 has created a handheld device that in a preliminary study correctly identified skin cancers at 99% and correctly identified 72% of benign lesions, reducing the need for biopsies. It is raising $1.5m on the Catalist exchange ahead of a $8m to $10m Series A round early next year.
The players: Luminoma, Dr Michel Nieuwoudt, Dr Maher Khaled, Professor Cather Simpson, The Photon Factory, Catalist.
New Zealand has the world’s highest death rate from melanoma because of its high UV levels yet current diagnostic tools for skin cancer can fall short.
Luminoma hopes to fill the gap.
The startup, spun out of Auckland University in 2023, is commercialising a handheld device based on raman
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Key points
What’s at stake: Auckland University spin-out Luminoma is raising funds on Catalist to complete an investigational study on skin cancers to help train the algorithms within its handheld skin cancer detection device. The device uses raman spectroscopy to shine a light on whether a skin lesion is benign or malignant and what kind of disease it is.
The background: The company spun out of The Photon Factory in 2023 has created a handheld device that in a preliminary study correctly identified skin cancers at 99% and correctly identified 72% of benign lesions, reducing the need for biopsies. It is raising $1.5m on the Catalist exchange ahead of a $8m to $10m Series A round early next year.
The players: Luminoma, Dr Michel Nieuwoudt, Dr Maher Khaled, Professor Cather Simpson, The Photon Factory, Catalist.
