French biotech startup MSInsight has successfully secured €1.6 million in seed funding to advance its innovative diagnostic platform for Microsatellite Instability (MSI) cancers. The financing round was led by Calyseed, with participation from Plateau de Saclay Business Angels, Yes Invest, Capital Cell, and banking partners including bpifrance.
The Paris-based company, founded in 2022, is developing cutting-edge diagnostic solutions based on DNA sequencing data to improve cancer patient care and treatment selection. The funding will accelerate the development of MSIcare, the company's flagship software solution designed to transform MSI cancer diagnosis.
Addressing a Critical Diagnostic Challenge
MSI cancers represent approximately one million new cases annually worldwide and can affect various organs, primarily digestive and gynecological systems. As a tumor-agnostic biomarker, MSI status is now routinely assessed in newly identified tumors regardless of origin, as it serves as a critical indicator for immunotherapy eligibility.
"Current diagnostic tools for MSI detection don't meet clinical needs and are often imprecise," explained Arnaud Cutivet, PhD, president and co-founder of MSInsight. "This leads to prescribing inappropriate treatments, creating missed opportunities for patients and unnecessary healthcare costs."
Studies have shown that existing algorithms for interpreting complex genomic data can lead to diagnostic errors in up to 30% of cases, with potentially severe consequences for patient outcomes. MSInsight aims to address this gap by leveraging next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, which has proven effective in evaluating MSI status when paired with accurate interpretation tools.
MSIcare: Precision Diagnostics Through AI and Bioinformatics
MSIcare integrates sophisticated bioinformatics algorithms and artificial intelligence models to interpret genomic data with unprecedented accuracy. The software has been designed to significantly improve MSI biomarker detection across different cancer contexts while making results more accessible through an optimized interpretation interface.
Clinical validation has already demonstrated that MSIcare can accurately diagnose MSI status from tumor tissue samples across multiple cancer types. The company is now working to expand its application to blood-based diagnostics, which would provide a less invasive and more accessible approach for patients.
The technology's implications extend beyond treatment selection. MSInsight is also positioning its platform to identify individuals at risk of developing MSI-related cancers, such as those with Lynch syndrome, one of the most common genetic predispositions to cancer. Early detection enables implementation of appropriate surveillance measures to prevent or detect cancer at early stages.
Building on Strong Academic Foundations
MSInsight's technology builds on two decades of research from the "Microsatellite Instability and Cancer" team at the Saint-Antoine Research Center (Inserm, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Sorbonne University) in Paris, led by Professor Alex Duval, who serves as the company's scientific director.
"This laboratory is a pioneer and is recognized worldwide for its work in MSI cancer diagnosis and precision medicine for these cancers," noted Elodie Panier, Managing Director of Calyseed. "MSIcare has the potential to become a standard in oncology diagnostics, significantly improving therapeutic orientation and care pathways."
The startup has already installed its first prototypes and is collaborating with medical laboratories in major university hospitals in France and internationally to validate its innovations. Since its founding, MSInsight has received multiple recognitions, including winning the 25th i-Lab innovation competition in 2023, which honors France's most promising startups.
Transforming Cancer Care Through Precision Diagnostics
The clinical significance of accurate MSI detection has grown substantially with the emergence of immunotherapy as an effective treatment option for these cancers. Recent studies have shown that immunotherapy can effectively treat previously untreatable MSI cancer patients with advanced metastatic tumors and may even help some patients avoid surgery.
"MSInsight embodies the future of personalized medicine, providing algorithms for accurate analysis of genomic data that give more hope to patients with certain types of cancer," said Antoine Risk of PSBA. "Their innovation paves the way for more targeted and effective treatments, making every analysis an opportunity to save lives."
The €1.6 million funding will enable MSInsight to finalize MSIcare's technological development, demonstrate its performance in various cancer types, and initiate the regulatory clinical validation necessary for CE-IVD marking as an in vitro diagnostic medical device.
"This fundraising marks a key milestone for MSInsight," Cutivet emphasized. "It gives us the means to accelerate the deployment of our technology and strengthen our clinical partnerships. The company's ambition is to position MSIcare as the future gold standard for assessing microsatellite instability and the first regulatory-validated bioinformatics solution."
Expanding Applications and Future Directions
Beyond its core focus on improving MSI diagnostics for adult cancers, MSInsight has developed applications in pediatric oncology in collaboration with partners. These applications have already demonstrated clinical efficacy and are approaching routine clinical testing.
The company's long-term vision is to become the leader in MSI diagnostics across the entire patient journey, from early detection to prediction of treatment response. With approximately 13 million individuals worldwide potentially eligible for MSI diagnostic approaches each year, the market opportunity and potential clinical impact are substantial.
Daniel Oliver, Director of Capital Cell, which directed funding from more than 170 investors to MSInsight, expressed confidence in the company's trajectory: "Capital Cell is thrilled to support a company that demonstrates immense potential in the field of cancer care."
With this financing round secured, MSInsight is positioned to provide healthcare professionals with robust tools to avoid misdiagnosis, predict therapeutic responses, and make medical decision-making more reliable for cancer patients worldwide.
