Cancer ranks as one of the top causes of death worldwide. The National Cancer Institute reported nearly 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million cancer-related deaths globally in 2022, with projections showing a rise to 29.9 million new cases by 2040.
Craif, spun off from Nagoya University in Japan in 2018, is using microRNA (miRNA) to develop an AI-powered early cancer detection software, and it has raised $22 million in Series C funding to expand further into the U.S. market and bolster its R&D. Ryuichi Onose, co-founder and CEO of Craif, told TechCrunch in an interview that the company completed its Series C funding round with a valuation of just under $100 million.