Upfront Diagnostics

About Upfront Diagnostics

Upfront Diagnostics, operating as Pockit Diagnostics Ltd, is a Cambridge-based medical technology company established in 2017. The company was founded by a team of University of Cambridge students and entrepreneurs: Gonzalo Ladreda, Dr. Edoardo Gaude, Marcos Ladreda, and Dr. Joshua Bernstock. The founding journey began with a conversation between brothers Gonzalo and Marcos Ladreda, inspired by the lack of rapid stroke diagnostics on the market, and solidified when they connected with Dr. Edoardo Gaude at a climbing wall in Cambridge. Gonzalo Ladreda's background in marketing and entrepreneurship, combined with his brother's experience developing point-of-care devices and Dr. Gaude's scientific expertise, formed the foundation of the company.

The company is focused on addressing a critical unmet need in emergency medicine: the rapid diagnosis of Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) strokes. LVO strokes account for a significant percentage of stroke-related deaths and disabilities. Upfront Diagnostics' core product is the LVOne, a portable, rapid blood test designed to identify LVO strokes at the point of care, such as in an ambulance. This lateral flow test requires only a single drop of blood and delivers a diagnosis in under 15 minutes by measuring two specific biomarkers, GFAP and D-dimer. The primary benefit is a significant reduction in the time to treatment. By enabling paramedics to identify LVO patients pre-hospitally, they can be taken directly to specialized stroke centers, bypassing closer, non-equipped hospitals and saving critical time.

The business model centers on the commercialization of the LVOne test to healthcare systems, emergency services, and hospitals. The company is ISO 13485 certified, indicating compliance with quality management standards for medical devices. Upfront Diagnostics has secured significant funding to support its mission, including a £1.6 million seed round led by APEX Ventures and a more recent $4.3 million round led by Phoenix Investments with participation from Cambridge Enterprise Ventures. These funds are allocated to commercialize LVOne in the UK and Europe, pursue regulatory approval in the US, and expand research and development capabilities. The company was also one of eight selected for the UK government's Innovative Device Access Pathway (IDAP), designed to accelerate the integration of new medical technologies into the NHS.