Ideaspring Capital led the $1.25 million pre-Series A round for healthtech startup Tvaster Genkalp. Prominent backers like Prof. Mohamed Rela, a liver transplant specialist, and Invigo Softwares also contributed to the round.
The money raised will be utilized to support the development and promotion of EpiscreenTM Liver, a novel blood test that has a 90% accuracy rate in identifying liver cancer early. Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP), the current gold standard, has a sensitivity of only 50%; this test provides a better alternative.
Tvaster, a company founded in 2021 by Dr. Srikar Raman and K. Sreedurgalakshmi, is developing non-invasive, highly accurate cancer tests. It seeks to enhance early detection and save lives, particularly in the case of liver cancer, which annually affects over 900,000 people worldwide.
Tvaster intends to collaborate with leading diagnostic labs to expand access after testing EpiscreenTM Liver on more than 600 patients. Tests for treatment resistance in childhood liver cancer and bile duct cancer are also being developed by the company.
Recently, it was awarded a BIRAC BIG Grant and the ILTS Young Researcher Award for its work in cancer diagnostics.
