Cancer-Testing Startup Artera Raises $90M

Artera, which uses artificial intelligence for cancer testing and personalized care, raised a $90 million round to support the distribution of its flagship test in prostate cancer.

Investors in the round included Coatue, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Koch Disruptive Technologies, Walden Catalyst Ventures, TIME Ventures, Breyer Capital and The Factory, as well as several angel investors, including Marc Benioff.

The San Francisco-based startup’s prostate cancer test — ArteraAI Prostate Test — predicts therapy benefits in localized prostate cancer. The cash infusion will help distribute the test in the U.S. and internationally, and also be used in the development of tests to support therapy personalization in other cancers.

Artera just recently released data on its prognostic biomarker through six Phase III randomized trials. The study showed the startup’s multimodal AI prognostic biomarker’s ability to help enable personalized treatments.

Prostate cancer numbers

Prostate cancer is a common cancer, especially for men as they get older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 13 American men out of 100 will get prostate cancer during their lifetime, and about two to three men will die. The most common risk factor is age.

“The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 288,000 new cases of prostate cancer will arise in 2023, with more than 34,000 deaths,” said co-founder and CEO Andre Esteva, in a release. “AI has given clinicians and patients a powerful weapon in the fight against this disease. Clinicians can now leverage Artera’s unique test to prognosticate patient outcomes and personalize treatment decisions.”

Those numbers are substantially larger worldwide. In 2020, there were a total of more than 1.4 million new cases of prostate cancer and more than 375,000 related deaths.

Artera was founded in 2021.

Illustration: Dom Guzman

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