Ezra AI Secures $4M Seed Funding and Launches Prostate Cancer Screening Program

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VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that on November 17 (local time), Ezra AI, Inc., a company developing cancer screening methods, announced the launch of its prostate cancer screening program. Ezra offers a direct-to-consumer identity verification system that enables men to undergo prostate MRI scans analyzed by radiologists to aid in cancer screening. Meanwhile, the company announced it had secured $4 million in seed funding, led by Accomplice, with other strategic investors including Founders Future, Credo Ventures, Seedcamp, Esther Dyson, as well as several startup founders and angel investors.

Ezra has partnered with RadNet, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “RadNet”), a leader in the imaging outpatient sector, to launch an invite-only private pilot program in New York City at an annual price of $999. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer-related death, after lung cancer. Approximately 1 in 41 men will die from prostate cancer. Current prostate cancer screening relies on the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test; elevated PSA levels typically warrant a prostate biopsy, which may carry side effects such as bleeding, infection, urinary problems, and erectile dysfunction. However, studies have shown that PSA levels are often inaccurate, leading to overdiagnosis and unnecessary biopsies.

Ezra uses MRI scans to help screen for prostate cancer. A recent study showed that, compared with other standard approaches to prostate biopsy, using MRI-guided prostate biopsy can detect up to 18% of clinically significant cancer cases. Furthermore, the same study indicated that triaging men with MRI can spare 27% of patients from unnecessary biopsies.

The company is also developing Ezra AI, an artificial intelligence technology designed to assist radiologists in analysis, enhancing precision and efficiency, with plans to submit a marketing application to the FDA in 2019. Composed of experienced scholars, AI scientists, radiologists, and healthcare professionals, the company leverages Ezra AI to rapidly and accurately diagnose potential cancerous abnormalities in any part of the human body.

Ezra CEO Emi Gal stated, “We should integrate cancer screening into our daily healthy lifestyles. Our goal is to combine an enhanced patient experience with state-of-the-art medical imaging technology and Ezra AI to improve the speed, accuracy, and affordability of cancer screening.”

Dr. John Crues, Chief Medical Officer at RadNet, stated, “I am delighted to collaborate with Emi and his team to provide MRI-based prostate cancer screening for all men at risk of prostate cancer.”

Ezra is dedicated to combining state-of-the-art medical imaging technology with artificial intelligence to provide early cancer detection for all. Ezra AI has not yet received FDA authorization, and its safety and efficacy have not been established. After further research into artificial intelligence technology, the company plans to seek FDA approval in 2019 before making Ezra AI available to radiologists.