Harbinger Health has grabbed $100 million in its latest funding round as the company reveals a new Resolve in its cancer detection work.
Since coming out of stealth in 2021, Harbinger has been developing a suite of liquid biopsy tests, alongside accompanying software programs, to analyze collected blood samples in search of the earliest signs of cancer.
This has been done via its HarbingerHx software, which is trained to spot biological abnormalities that can signal the early development of cancer.
Now, as well as seeking the “advancement of the Harbinger HX platform,” the company will also work to introduce a new category of blood-based, multi-cancer detection tests, according to an April 14 statement.
Known as “Resolve,” this platform is “designed to bring clarity to the often-uncertain period between suspicion of cancer and diagnosis,” according to the release.
In practice, this has seen Harbinger design Resolve to minimize false negative results, something that can allow early cancers to go undetected, as well as avoiding false positives. “Together, these attributes enable faster clinical decision-making when cancer is suspected”, the company explained.
The $100 million investment, led by VC powerhouse Flagship Pioneering, will help bring this platform to market in the second half of 2026.
Flagship Pioneering has a long history with the medtech, having ushered Harbinger out of stealth in 2021 with $50 million. The VC major, alongside other investors, also returned for a series B in 2023 worth $140 million.
“For most people who present with concerning symptoms, signs or findings, it takes months to get to a diagnosis, and mortality increases significantly with each month that goes by,” Ajit Singh, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Harbinger Health and Flagship Pioneering CEO-Partner, said in a release.
“Resolve helps clinicians move more quickly and confidently from cancer suspicion to diagnosis in people who show signs of disease, even in its earliest stages,” Singh added. “The results from our first clinical study showed that we have a real opportunity to reset the starting line to diagnosis across multiple cancers, effectively shortening the time to treatment.”
Blood tests for cancer are becoming a major part of the medtech industry’s offerings, with big companies like Labcorp and Grail seeking ever more sensitive tests whilst also looking for broader uptake.
