Meet the co-founders of CancerIQ, a Black-owned healthcare technology firm that has raised $14 million to further its goal of employing AI technology to diagnose cancer early: Dr. Olufunmilayo (Funmi) Olopade and her daughter, Feyi Olopade Ayodele. Feyi is the CEO of the company, and Funmi is the Chief Scientific Officer.
Their creative strategy involves matching patients with individualised treatment plans and offering personalised risk assessments in order to overcome inequities in cancer care, especially in underprivileged populations.
In comparison to their white counterparts, Black women experience worse results from cancer because of a number of obstacles, including inadequate access to healthcare. As a result, more Black women receive cancer diagnoses later in life. Matters were made worse by the pandemic, as millions of people missed important screenings.
But CancerIQ is making an effort. Using artificial intelligence (AI), its precision health platform determines a patient’s cancer risk based on family history and genetics. It then links them to individualised treatment programmes that include lifestyle modifications and screenings. The platform is currently in use in more than 180 locations around the country.
“CancerIQ’s vision is to end cancer as we know it by eliminating health disparities and democratizing access to the latest advances in cancer early detection and prevention,” Ayodele said after being featured in Forbes. “We started by making genetic testing more accessible and connecting patients to the right preventive services at the right time.”
According to a recent report from the President’s Cancer Panel, CancerIQ’s objective to close gaps in cancer screening and risk assessment will be furthered by the extra financing. The company’s goal is to democratise access to cutting-edge diagnosis and preventive techniques in order to reduce cancer inequities.
Amgen Ventures and the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund co-led the funding round, demonstrating the industry’s support for CancerIQ’s mission. Additionally, the business is preparing to have an even greater influence in the fight against cancer with plans to hire 50 new team members.
Visit the company’s official website, CancerIQ.com, to find out more information.
