Spotlight Pathology, a Sci-Tech Daresbury-based University of Manchester spin‑out developing AI‑powered tools for blood cancer diagnostics, has secured a new investment of £1.4 million to accelerate the commercial rollout of its flagship lymphoma diagnostic AI device.
The funding round was co-led by Liverpool City Region Seed Fund and UKI2S with continued support from existing investors including Deepbridge, Lyva Labs, EHE Ventures and River Capital. This latest raise will support Spotlight Pathology as it transitions its lymphoma AI technology into clinical use, with first deployments into NHS sites expected this year.
Blood cancer pathology departments across the UK are facing increased pressure thanks to increasing sample volumes, shortages of specialist pathologists and extended diagnostic turnaround times. Spotlight Pathology’s AI device streamlines workflows by consolidating diagnostic steps.
The device presents pathologists with all relevant information in a single review session, enabling both efficiency gains and a digital second opinion. Modelling indicates that the approach will reduce diagnostic time by around 30%, enabling clinicians to manage rising caseloads and accelerate the time to treatment for patients with aggressive cancers such as lymphoma.
The new investment will enable Spotlight Pathology to:
- Support commercialisation and deployment of its first AI diagnostic tool for lymphoma, further develop its pipeline of AI pathology products
- Create new technical, scientific and commercial roles over the next 12 months
- Progress regulatory milestones including In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) certification and CE marking for European market access by 2027.
In 2025 the company successfully achieved ISO 13485 certification (an international quality management standard for the medical device industry) and UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) registration. Each is a key step in ensuring regulatory readiness for diagnostic technologies entering clinical environments.
Sam Perona, CEO at Spotlight Pathology, said: “This investment comes at a critical and exciting time in Spotlight’s development, as we transition our primary focus from tech development to supporting our products in clinical use.”
Spotlight Pathology was founded in 2021 by Dr Martin Fergie, an AI specialist, and Prof. Richard Byers, a consultant pathologist. The company is based at Sci-Tech Daresbury, where it benefits from the supportive ecosystem of laboratory and technical facilities, business growth expertise and access to support, funding and networks, including the STFC DeepTech Catalyst programme.
