Cancer-focused AI start-up raises £425k to speed up pathology diagnosis
Spotlight Pathology, a Manchester-based MedTech company developing AI-powered pathology tools, has secured £425,000 from Manchester’s EHE Ventures in a funding round to help clinicians diagnose blood cancers faster and more accurately.
The investment, part of a larger £1.125m round expected to close mid-year, includes a six-figure commitment from EHE Ventures via its AI Growth Fund, a multimillion-pound fund backing UK start-ups applying AI to solve real world challenges, alongside support from Chester-based DeepBridge Capital and Liverpool’s Lyva Labs.
Founded by Dr Martin Fergie and Prof Richard Byers, and led by Dr Sam Perona, Spotlight is building technology to support faster diagnosis of lymphoma and leukaemia, diseases where delayed diagnosis can cost lives.
Its platform uses proprietary computer vision models trained on UK hospital datasets to streamline lymph node and bone marrow biopsy diagnostic workflows.
Andrew Round, investment director at Deepbridge Capital, said: “Spotlight Pathology represents exactly the type of highly innovative company that Deepbridge is privileged to invest in.
“We initially supported the team through our Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), and are now pleased to back them again through our EIS fund, alongside EHE and Lyva Labs.”
He added: “We look forward to supporting the team as they scale in the exciting field of digital pathology.”
Deepbridge Capital has deployed more than £200m through the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) since 2013. Its EIS fund supports high growth, revenue-generating technology and life sciences companies across the UK, offering early stage businesses vital capital alongside attractive tax reliefs for investors.
Neil Vose, CEO of EHE Venture Studio, said: “Spotlight is exactly the kind of company our fund was built to support – founder-led, mission-driven, and applying AI to solve one of the most urgent challenges in global healthcare.
“We’re not just providing capital. Through our Venture Studio, we’ll be working side by side with Sam and the team to scale the platform, accelerate development, and prepare for market entry.”
EHE Ventures launched its AI Growth Fund in 2024 to back UK-based start-ups using AI in high-impact sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, climate, and infrastructure.
The fund is part of the wider EHE Group, founded by exited entrepreneurs Guy Remond and Gary Fletcher, and works closely with founders to provide funding, product support, and strategic guidance.
The investment into Spotlight marks the fund’s fourth deployment, following recent investments into SUBJCT, Scooch, and Fotenix.
Dr Sam Perona, CEO of Spotlight Pathology, said: “There’s a critical shortage of pathologists, and the stakes are high – delayed diagnosis means delayed treatment.
“Our platform gives clinicians the tools to confidently streamline diagnostic workflows.”
Dr Perona added: “This investment is a major step forward in bringing our technology to market and improving outcomes for people affected by blood cancers.”
With this funding, Spotlight will complete its AI platform development, secure UKCA regulatory approval, and launch pilot programmes across the UK, Europe, and the US, working closely with EHE’s Venture Studio to accelerate technical delivery and go-to-market planning.
The company is addressing a £15bn global opportunity in cancer diagnostics, and represents one of the few female-led innovations in the AI MedTech space.
