Manchester-based healthtech startup Spotlight Pathology has secured £425,000 as part of a larger £1.125 million funding round to further develop its Artificial Intelligence-powered tools for blood cancer diagnosis. The company, founded by Dr Martin Fergie and Prof Richard Byers and led by CEO Dr Sam Perona, is focused on streamlining the detection of lymphoma and leukaemia using custom computer vision models trained on UK hospital data.
The investment includes a substantial contribution from EHE Ventures through its AI Growth Fund, with additional backing from DeepBridge Capital and Lyva Labs. Spotlight Pathology intends to use the funding to finalize its Artificial Intelligence platform, obtain UK regulatory approval, and launch pilot programmes in the UK, Europe, and the US in collaboration with EHE’s Venture Studio. The startup positions its technology as a remedy for the critical shortage of pathologists, aiming to reduce diagnostic delays and consequently improve treatment outcomes for blood cancer patients.
The announcement drew statements of support from partners and investors. Dr Sam Perona highlighted the platform’s potential to help clinicians make more confident and efficient diagnostic decisions amid workforce shortages. Deepbridge Capital, which had previously backed the company through the SEIS, expressed enthusiasm for supporting Spotlight in scaling its digital pathology solutions. EHE Ventures emphasised Spotlight’s alignment with the fund’s mission of supporting founder-led, mission-driven companies using Artificial Intelligence to address urgent healthcare challenges. Through the partnership, EHE’s Venture Studio plans to work closely with Spotlight’s team to accelerate development and prepare for market entry. The success of this funding round strengthens Spotlight Pathology´s role in the growing digital pathology sector and reflects increasing investor interest in Artificial Intelligence-driven healthcare innovations.
