Craif raises ¥5.3B Series D to fund US pancreatic cancer push
What's the deal? Japanese biotech startup Craif has raised roughly ¥5.3 billion (about $33 million) in a Series D round. The global round included investors across Singapore, the US and Japan, alongside bank debt, and brings Craif's total funding since founding to about ¥14.2 billion.
What does Craif do? Founded in 2018, the Tokyo company uses AI to analyse microRNA in urine to assess cancer risk. Its "miSignal Scan" test evaluates risk for 10 cancer types, including pancreatic cancer, from stage 1, and is available at more than 2,500 medical institutions and 4,700 pharmacies, with over 110,000 cumulative uses.
Where's the money going? Craif will fund US R&D towards an insurance-reimbursed product launch, and in Japan pursue regulatory approval for a pancreatic cancer software-as-a-medical-device programme planned for 2026. The round also included a secondary transaction of about ¥900 million.
The US build-out: Craif is expanding into the US, where it opened its first company-owned bio-AI lab in San Diego in April 2026 and has tied up with 30 medical institutions across 15 states. Chief executive officer Ryuichi Onose relocated to the US to lead the effort.
Who's joining? Craif named Nick Bevins, MD, PhD — a former CLIA-certified lab director and life-sciences chief medical officer — as its US chief medical officer. It also hired Takeo Mukai, a former MedtronicDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → finance leader, as US chief financial officer.
Why now? The MCED (multi-cancer early detection) market is drawing global attention, while most approaches use blood tests. Craif's urine-based method is designed to support early cancer detection and a broader urine-analysis platform.
The signal: At roughly $33 million, Craif's round supports its US expansion, clinical development and planned pancreatic-cancer SaMD programme in Japan.
Read more: PR TIMES
Image credit: Craif
