University of Edinburgh spin-out BIOCAPTIVA has secured £1.58 million in fresh funding. The round was led by Archangels, with support from Old College Capital, BBI, Scottish Enterprise and new investor EverQuest Capital Partners.
The investment will accelerate the development of its blood sample preparation technology and expand its product offering.
Solving a hidden bottleneck in liquid biopsy
Liquid biopsy has become one of the most promising tools in cancer research and diagnostics. Instead of invasive tissue biopsies, scientists can analyse fragments of tumour DNA circulating in a patient’s bloodstream, offering a faster and less intrusive way to study disease.
However, the process begins with a surprisingly stubborn challenge: preparing blood samples in a way that preserves fragile cell-free DNA. Traditional methods rely on multiple steps, centrifuges and additional reagents, which can slow workflows and introduce variability.
BioCaptiva was founded by Jeremy Wheeler, Matthew Simmonte Owens, and Mark Bradley to remove this obstacle. Its patented msX platform uses magnetic bead technology to capture DNA directly from whole blood, simplifying what has historically been a complex laboratory process.
By eliminating centrifugation and reducing the need for additional chemicals, the system delivers higher-quality samples while cutting down preparation time. For researchers working with large volumes of clinical samples, this could significantly improve both reliability and scalability.
A new tool for researchers enters the US market
Alongside the funding, the company has introduced its first product, the msX research kits in Boston. It will introduce this technology to laboratories working at the forefront of cancer detection and genomic analysis.
The initial release focuses on research use, enabling scientists to evaluate the technology across a wide range of experimental settings. Building this evidence base will help demonstrate the platform’s performance across different disease areas and research environments.
As liquid biopsy testing continues to expand globally, demand for faster and more consistent sample preparation methods is rising. BIOCAPTIVA’s approach aims to streamline this early stage of analysis, helping researchers focus more on discovery rather than laboratory logistics.
New appointee
To support this next phase, the company has appointed Alan Schafer as Chief Technology Officer. Schafer brings more than three decades of experience in molecular diagnostics and genetics technologies.
His career includes senior roles across the biotechnology sector, including CTO at Inivata before its $415 million acquisition by NeoGenomics in 2021. He has also served as CEO of Population Genetics Technologies and 14M Genomics, as well as Vice President of Global Technology Development at GlaxoSmithKline.
Our thoughts
With fresh capital, experienced leadership, and a product now entering the US research market, BIOCAPTIVA is positioning itself to tackle one of the most overlooked challenges in liquid biopsy workflows.
If successful, its technology could help accelerate cancer research by making the first step of genetic testing, preparing the sample, faster, simpler and far more consistent.
Jeremy Wheeler, CEO of BIOCAPTIVA, said, “Oncology is an exciting and vibrant sector. The scientists and technologists have been doing incredible things based upon the samples that they’re given, but there hasn’t been any particular movement in how the samples are prepared for years. Our msX platform has the potential to revolutionise how samples are collected, allowing for larger samples, faster extraction, simpler processing, and fully automatable capabilities.
“In practice, that means faster, better and deeper iteration and research on cancer, leading to better outcomes for potentially millions of people globally. This new funding brings us closer to achieving that goal,” he added.
Sarah Hardy, Director and Head of New Investment at Archangels, said: “BIOCAPTIVA is at an inflexion point in its growth trajectory with the launch of its newmsX beads. The market potential for the technology is remarkable, and with the products, the senior leadership and the research and development capability within the business, we’re confident about the future success of the BIOCAPTIVA.”
Derek Shaw, Director of Entrepreneurship and Investment at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Our investment in BIOCAPTIVA highlights our commitment to helping increase the scale of capital investment by businesses in Scotland to support our economy, drive productivity and create higher-value jobs. Company growth and productivity can lead to optimised operations, expanded export capabilities and move jobs up the value chain.”
