AOA Dx is a NYC-based company developing a detection test for ovarian cancer using its GlycoLocate™ platform. The platform focuses on glycolipids and tumor marker gangliosides and harnesses novel biomarkers through data science to improve early detection. Led by CEO and co‑founder Oriana Papin‑Zoghbi, the company’s initial focus is ovarian cancer. AOA Dx plans to use the new capital to open new lab facilities, expand its prospective ovarian cancer clinical trial (OVERT), and develop GlycoLocate into additional cancer areas. The company raised $17M in the latest round led by Good Growth Capital and has now raised $24M in total. Investors in the round include RH Capital, Y Combinator, Astia Fund, Adaptive Capital Partners, Gore Range Capital, LongeVC, The Helm, VU Venture Partners, FemHealth Ventures and diagnostic investors such as Labcorp Venture Fund. AOA Dx is developing AKRIVIS GD, a liquid‑biopsy assay intended to enable accurate early detection of ovarian cancer. In a landmark peer‑reviewed study in the Journal of Precision Medicine, the technology showed over 90% accuracy for detecting ovarian cancer, including early‑stage disease. The company says AKRIVIS GD has high sensitivity and specificity and would be the first available tool to enable early detection of ovarian cancer. AOA plans to use new funding to further develop the next generation of AKRIVIS GD and to expand its team. Teams are based in Boston, New York, and London, and the company participated in Y Combinator’s program in 2021. The work responds to a large unmet need: roughly 225,000 women are diagnosed annually and late detection drives high mortality, while early detection can dramatically improve five‑year survival rates. AOA is developing AKRIVIS GD, a blood-based liquid biopsy intended to detect ovarian cancer at earlier stages. The company reports that its proof-of-concept demonstrates high accuracy across all cancer stages and epithelial ovarian cancer subtypes. AOA says its technology detects 53% more patients with early-stage disease compared with the current standard, CA 125. The team partnered with Professor H. Uri Saragovi of the Lady Davis Institute/McGill University to develop the test. AOA is part of Y Combinator’s summer 2021 batch and raised seed funding to advance development. The company plans further prospective patient clinical trials and to pursue FDA regulatory processes to bring the test to market.

Total raised

$27M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Oct 2023