Western University Spin-off Secures Over $2M in Seed Funding for Cancer Care Robotics System
A medical technology startup from Western has obtained seed funding of more than $2 million to develop a robotics system for colon cancer treatment.
Tenomix Inc. was founded in 2021 by a team of fellows upon completion of The Medical Innovation Fellowship program (MIF), a WORLDiscoveries initiative, which aims to develop innovation and entrepreneurial leaders in health-related sectors.
During the MIF program, the fellows identified a key pain point experienced by pathology staff in the colon cancer staging pathway: the manual lymph node search process. The Tenomix team invented a platform technology that employs ultrasound imaging, robotics, artificial intelligence, and custom tissue interfacing tools to autonomously scan and mark lymph nodes in excised cancer tissues, marking them for efficient extraction.
This device aims to address the unreliability of the manual lymph node finding process, significantly enhancing the speed and reliability of cancer staging, the process by which the progress of the cancer is determined, according to the company.
“The Lymphonator is an automated, bench-top robotic scanning device. The aim is to make the process of searching lymph nodes in surgically removed colorectal cancer tissues less labour intensive, more affordable and more reliable, for pathology laboratories,” said Saumik Biswas, PhD’20, co-founder, president and CEO of Tenomix.
Accurate determination of colorectal cancer stages is crucial to determine the right treatment plan but is often a delicate balance between art and science, according to the company.
“Right now, pathology staff feel for firm areas in the tissue and just using their visual and tactile senses [to screen lymph nodes]. Because of missed lymph nodes, even if only one or two are cancer positive, it can cause issues with proper cancer staging and result in the patient not getting the right treatment at the right time. Our preliminary studies with hospital collaborators show that this manual search process is not that reliable,” he said.
The robotics system is currently undergoing validation in hospitals across the U.S. and Canada.
“We envision our technology can be used as a versatile platform with scalable software that supports the pathology process,” said Eveline Pasman, MD, COO, and co-founder of Tenomix.
The other co-founders are Tenomix chief technology officer Michael Lavdas, MESc’20, and director Sherif Abdou.
Tenomix’s innovative solution has garnered significant interest and support with FACIT, an Ontario-based oncology tech investor, leading the investment round with a contribution of $1 million.
“Our province’s life science ecosystem is world-renowned for its talent, who continue to push the envelope in developing the next-generation technologies that aid in medical breakthroughs,” said Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s minister of economic development, job creation and trade.
“Tenomix’s cutting-edge cancer screening robotics system demonstrates the best of Ontario innovation, and we congratulate them on their continued successes.”
Other contributions in the funding round include $500,000 from the Ontario Centre for Innovation through the Life Sciences Innovation Fund and a co-investment of $640,000 from Phoenix Fire Fund (part of the Archangel Network of Funds), individual angel investors, and the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization, which invested through its Women in Health Initiative seed program.
A collaborative entrepreneurial environment
“It was a genuine privilege to witness the formation and growth of the Tenomix team during their time in the Medical Innovation Fellowship. From the start, they demonstrated all the characteristics of an exceptional team. Tenomix is an innovative team that embodies the spirit of collaboration, where diverse minds unite, ideas flourish, and challenges become opportunities. Through unwavering focus and dedication, they embrace the hard work that propels them toward groundbreaking solutions,” said Souzan Armstrong, executive director of WORLDiscoveries and former director of the MIF program.
Following the program, Tenomix was incorporated and accepted into BioNext, a Western medical technology incubator located at Robarts Research Institute. BioNext provided Tenomix with critical infrastructure support, including prototyping rooms and equipment.
“At BioNext, Tenomix has benefited from key interactions with Western scientists, a collaborative medtech entrepreneurial environment and tailored fabrication facilities. As one of our more mature tenants, Tenomix founders also act as role models for the more junior startups,” said Maria Drangova, director of BioNext.
Biswas expressed gratitude for the support received from BioNext, WORLDiscoveries and Western.
“Receiving infrastructure support from the outset in 2021 has been pivotal to our success. The advantage of not having to worry about access to renowned thought leaders, workspace, prototyping rooms, and the necessary equipment for rapid prototyping and clinical testing is invaluable for early-stage startups, particularly within the life sciences sector. The backing from BioNext and WORLDiscoveries has been instrumental in our journey,” he said.