US-based medtech firm Breath-Dx raises funds from Singapore VC firm

Breath Diagnostics Inc. (Breath-Dx), a US-based breath analysis platform, today announced that it has secured an undisclosed amount of investment from HealthXCapital, a Singapore-based healthcare-focused venture capital firm.

Photo credit: Unsplash

With the investment, the two organizations will seek pan-Asian investment, conduct clinical studies, and implement market penetration strategies across the US and Asia, according to a statement. Following the investment, Arda Minocherhomjee, a HealthXCapital representative and a managing partner of the Chicago Growth Fund, will join Breath-Dx’s board of directors.

Founded in 2014, Breath-Dx said it aims to create a non-invasive, easy-to-use, and affordable diagnostic tool for lung cancer screening. It has developed a platform called OneBreath, which detects lung cancer by analyzing a single exhaled breath.

The platform picks up “volatile organic markers,” giving it the potential to expand into identifying other cancer indications, as well as a variety of other disease states, according to the statement. The test will also be used to monitor potential cancer recurrence even after surgery.

The company plans to use the new funds to develop its product, scale manufacturing to support clinical trials, and build management infrastructure.

Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and Asia constitutes over 51% of lung cancer incidences, the company said.

“Despite the region’s dramatic growth in recent decades, cancer screening in Asia is still a challenge, thus exposing the vast majority of the population to cancer risks,” said Seemant Jauhari, a partner at HealthXCapital.