Oesophageal adenocarcinoma remains one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, with a survival rate of about 20%, mainly due to diagnosis happening too late. Cyted Health, a British firm specialising in gastrointestinal molecular diagnostics, is tackling this challenge with minimally invasive technology aimed at early detection and prevention.
The company has just secured more than €37 million in Series B funding, led by EQT Life Sciences and Advent Life Sciences. This new investment follows promising progress in clinical validation, including the ongoing DETECT-ME trial in the US. Cyted is gearing up to challenge the $1 billion upper gastrointestinal diagnostics market, using the funds to advance its US commercial expansion and expand its suite of diagnostic tests.
Established in 2020 by University of Cambridge experts, including CEO Marcel Gehrung, Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald, and pathologist Maria O’Donovan, Cyted began as a breakthrough academic effort. Now, it has translated that research into a working product, having already carried out thousands of tests within the UK’s NHS.
Their standout innovation is EndoSign®, an FDA-cleared device that collects cells from the oesophagus without the discomfort or expense of conventional endoscopy. When paired with their own biomarker technology and machine learning, Cyted’s platform can detect pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions more quickly, affordably, and with less invasiveness than traditional methods.
By avoiding heavy reliance on invasive biopsies, Cyted offers a more comfortable experience for patients and opens the door to wider screening. The impact is significant: over 35,000 tests completed, backed by solid clinical results and peer-reviewed studies, confirming the approach’s acceptance and effectiveness across the NHS.
Bruno Holthof, Partner at EQT Life Sciences, commented: “Cyted is strongly positioned to redefine the standard of care in upper GI diagnostics worldwide. Its minimally invasive diagnostics platform is the standout innovation to capture this significant market opportunity, and we’re delighted to add the company to our portfolio.”
Carmine Circelli, Director, Life Sciences at British Business Bank, added: “Cyted is an excellent example of the kind of high-impact business we aim to back. Their innovation has the potential to transform early cancer detection and create lasting health outcomes both in the UK and globally.”
Looking to the future, Cyted plans to expand its presence in the US through ongoing trials, such as DETECT-ME, which began enrolling patients at multiple sites earlier in 2025. The company aims to expand its diagnostic offerings, introduce innovations to the market, and enhance its commercial operations.
