Fundable Early-stage Medical AI Projects Are All But Vanishing Fundable early-stage medical AI projects are gradually shrinking, while only mid-to-late stage players continue to secure financing. Medical AI faces inherent hidden entry barriers. The director of the pathology department at a top tertiary hospital in Chengdu partnered with Cheng An to digitize colorectal cancer diagnostic expertise into a systematic platform. Leveraging experience in internet AI, Cheng An’s team rolled out the first version of the model within half a year. Yet during further optimization, they found it difficult to access external clinical data beyond their partner hospital. The team later adopted new algorithms to boost detection accuracy. Nevertheless, the barriers to the healthcare industry far exceeded Cheng An’s expectations. Medical AI lacks clear payers, making it hard for initial products to achieve rapid monetization, leaving the team in urgent need of external capital to sustain operations.