There are few medical imaging segments with more momentum among the general public than longevity-focused MRI screening, and Silicon Valley startup Prenuvo just raised a $70M Series A round to capitalize on that momentum.
Prenuvo’s imaging centers help longevity-minded individuals detect health problems early, combining full-body MRI exams, AI analysis, and radiologist interpretations to screen for over 500 conditions (catching most solid tumors while still Stage 1).
- Prenuvo places a high emphasis on the patient experience, including comfort, entertainment, exam speed, and patient-friendly reporting, all reportedly at a “fraction of the cost of traditional MRI screenings.”
- Already growing at a 240% annual rate, Prenuvo will use its new funding to expand its AI team, accelerate its technology development, build its custom MRI scanners, and grow its presence from 6 to 16 imaging centers nationwide.
Many radiologists have made it clear that they don’t approve of proactive screening, noting the high risk of overdiagnosis and unnecessary radiation exposure (w/ CT screenings) when patients undergo just-in-case scans.
However, there are enough stories about proactive exams catching early diseases and enough people who want to live as long as possible to inspire a growing field of longevity imaging startups, including BrainKey (brain longevity), Ezra (cancer screening), Q Bio (overall health), and Human Longevity (overall health).
The Takeaway
Whether radiologists like it or not, there are plenty of people who want to maximize their longevity and there’s apparently plenty of venture funding available to longevity imaging startups ($70M is a huge Series A for an imaging startup in 2022).
We might still be early in the longevity imaging trend, but if it intensifies it would mean a lot more imaging exams, a growing source of early diagnoses (and incidental findings), and potentially greater longevity for the patients who can afford these services.
