Atlanta startup OncoLens closes $7.25 M Series A round in its battle against cancer

OncoLens, an Atlanta-based digital health IT company, is streamlining cancer care with its innovative treatment planning platform. The platform enables data integration and collaboration among specialists, thereby reducing overall costs and shortening timelines for treatment planning. 

“Unlike many other healthcare applications whose core users are either administrative or single-specialty like a clinical research team, OncoLens’ core users include physicians and other patient-facing providers,” said OncoLens CEO and Cofounder Anju Mathew.

“We excel in engaging with those care team members and understand their pain points. Our strong focus on treatment planning and understanding of these user personas have positioned us very well in the market.” 

Mathew’s personal family struggles with cancer highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment planning and care. She collaborated with Dr. Lijo Simpson, a board-certified Hematologist and active participant in various cancer committees, to form OncoLens. Together, they are solving some of the challenges of cancer treatment. 

“Prior to OncoLens, the treatment planning process was done through manual curation of patient data, clinical decision support, if any, and a requirement for the care team to participate in person,” said Mathew. 

The OncoLens platform automates aggregation and visualization of relevant patient data with recommended diagnostic and treatment protocols, often for a remote care team. This enables providers to make and follow through with the best decision possible for the patient.

“The patient’s data is aggregated on the OncoLens platform in a format that is relevant to the discussion at hand, based on the patient’s diagnosis and stage,” said Mathew. “Patients still have their charts at each visit entered into their local systems but OncoLens will bring the perspective from radiology, pathology, oncology, and surgery all into one central location and visual. Clinical trials and the latest research are then matched to the patient based on their diagnosis, potential cancer mutations, and more, utilizing OncoLens’ proprietary algorithms.” 

OncoLens kicked off a market launch for its tumor board management module in 2017 following a successful deployment at Emory Decatur Hospital. Last year, the Technology Association of Georgia named OncoLens as one of the top 10 most innovative companies.

In January 2021, the oncology startup secured a $7.25 Million Series A funding from Atlanta-based BIP Capital, Nashville-based Martin Ventures, and SeedToB Capital. Mathew said OncoLens stays ahead of the curve through continuous innovation. 

“We are not afraid to disrupt ourselves and we work very closely with our customers to understand their core needs and innovate to that end.” 

One such innovation includes rolling out new modules to drive toward improved quality of care. OncoLens is positioned for continued growth in domestic and international markets. “We have reached an exciting stage in our trajectory,” said Mathew. 

“Our goal is to break down the barriers of distance, expertise, and access in cancer care. We are well on our way to achieving this goal as OncoLens has grown into one of the largest networks of oncology-focused care providers and we can now start to connect experts with remote physicians and other care providers who may need help.”

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