Seville-based Universal DX, a HealthTech startup, has secured a €20 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the development and commercialisation of its blood-based liquid biopsy solutions.
The funding will drive the expansion of Signal-C®, its most advanced colorectal cancer screening product, as well as the development of new solutions for liver and lung cancer detection (Signal-Li and Signal-Lu, respectively).
Juan Martínez Barea, Founder and president of Universal DX, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “Our mission is to create a future where cancer is curable. With the transformative power of our technology, we are taking bold steps to turn this vision into reality. We are deeply inspired by the support of the EIB, which will enable us to contribute to the European Plan to Fight Cancer and to bring our revolutionary blood tests for early cancer detection to both European and U.S. markets.”
Founded in 2012, Universal DX is innovating AI-powered computational biology for early cancer detection. Its platform combines Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) with proprietary biomarkers and advanced machine learning algorithms to identify early cancer signals with high accuracy.
The EIB’s financial support comes at a crucial moment for the startup as it plans to expand into international markets. A key next step is a clinical trial in the United States, aiming for FDA approval, which would facilitate reimbursement and integration into the American healthcare system.
“We are delighted to join forces with Universal DX to advance the fight against cancer and more specifically the early detection of the illness to improve survival rate. This financing agreement is one more example of how the EIB is helping innovative European startups developing breakthrough medical solutions and supporting the European MedTech industry,” said EIB Director of Equity, Growth Capital and Project Finance Alessandro Izzo.
The investment is backed by the InvestEU programme, which aims to mobilise over €372 billion in strategic investments between 2021 and 2027. The project contributes to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EIB Group strategic priority of accelerating digitalisation and technological innovation.
This agreement looks to not only accelerate Universal DX’s expansion but also strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in the biotechnology sector. By combining strategic investment with cutting-edge technology, the startup is positioning itself as a key player in making early cancer detection more accessible worldwide.