East Ventures bets on Indonesia’s PathGen to improve cancer diagnoses

PathGen co-founders Michael Rampangilei (left) and Susanti / Photo credit: PathGen

Cancer has grown more prevalent in recent years, but in lower-income countries, comprehensive treatment is often inadequate, according to the World Health Organization.

That includes Indonesia, where local biotech startup PathGen Diagnostik Teknologi says only 18% of healthcare facilities can conduct molecular cancer testing. To address this, the company has created easy-to-use, PCR-based genetic testing kits for various cancers, including colorectal, lung, cervical, and nasopharynx cancers.

Recently, PathGen secured an undisclosed amount of funding from East Ventures and Royal Group Indonesia. The new capital will mainly go toward the startup’s research and development, technological upgrades, market growth, and other operational aspects.

Founded in 2020, PathGen is developing next-generation sequencing for the diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. A big part of its strategy is to create an affordable way to profile diseases.

PathGen has partnered with BioFarma, an Indonesian state-owned pharmaceutical company, to produce and distribute its inaugural product. The startup is also developing a digital pathology and AI platform to increase diagnosis accuracy and precision.

While biotech has been relatively nascent in Indonesia, a local laboratory chain called Diagnos recently acquired Asa Ren, an Indonesian DNA testing startup, for US$24 million.

Healthcare has also become a recent focus for East Ventures. Last October, during the 2023 Tech in Asia Conference, the firm said it had committed US$30 million to a new dedicated fund for healthcare investments.

See also: Series SEA: Who’s investing in the region’s biotech startups?