For patients facing the prospect of a cancer diagnosis, the first step is often the most invasive. A biopsy, a blood draw, a procedure that can be as daunting as the disease itself. PHASE Scientific, a Hong Kong-headquartered biotech founded in 2015, is betting that a far simpler sample,urine,can become a powerful tool for early detection, and a recent $34 million Series A round suggests investors are listening [Forbes, May 2025].
The company's core technology, called PHASIFY, is a sample preparation platform designed to concentrate biomarkers from urine, aiming to capture over ten times more than current industry standards [Mugglehead Investment Magazine]. This technical wedge is the foundation for a strategic pivot. While PHASE Scientific has commercialized rapid infectious disease tests, including an FDA-authorized COVID-19 antigen test, the fresh capital is explicitly earmarked for advancing its urine-based diagnostic pipeline for cancer [Forbes, May 2025] [phasescientific.com]. It's a move that shifts the company's center of gravity from pandemic-era diagnostics toward the more complex, regulated, and potentially transformative field of multi-cancer early detection.
The Technical Wedge: From Sample Prep to Clinical Promise
The ambition to detect cancer from urine is not new, but the clinical utility has long been hampered by sensitivity. The concentration of tumor-derived biomarkers in urine is typically extremely low. PHASE Scientific's PHASIFY technology attempts to solve this by acting as a molecular amplifier before the test itself. The company claims the method can process larger sample volumes and elute concentrated genetic material in smaller volumes, thereby improving the signal for downstream analysis [medicaldevice-network.com].
This approach allows the company to pursue a liquid biopsy,a non-invasive alternative to tissue biopsies,using a sample type that is trivial to collect. The initial focus is on building tests for early-stage cancer detection and monitoring, a area of intense clinical need and commercial activity [Forbes, May 2025]. The recent partnership with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to develop clinical evidence for its Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) program is a critical step in moving from technical promise to validated clinical tool [OHSU News, 2025].
A Dual-Track Commercial History
PHASE Scientific's path to this point has run on two parallel tracks. The first is its commercial diagnostics business, primarily under its Americas division. Here, the company established a revenue base and regulatory experience by bringing rapid tests to market, most notably its INDICAID COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test, which received FDA Emergency Use Authorization [phasescientific.com]. This track provided real-world manufacturing, distribution, and regulatory experience.
The second track is the long-term R&D effort on PHASIFY and its oncology applications. The $34 million Series A, led by Value Partners Group, which brought the company's total disclosed funding to an estimated $57 million, represents a significant vote of confidence in this second track [Forbes, May 2025]. The funding narrative has clearly shifted from pandemic response to a sustained offensive in early cancer detection.
The Founders' Academic Engine
The company's origins are deeply academic, spinning out from UCLA in 2015. The founding team,Ricky Chiu, Daniel Kamei, Benjamin Wu, and Garrett Mosley,brought together bioengineering expertise focused on diagnostics and biomaterials [UCLA Samueli School Of Engineering]. CEO Ricky Chiu, a UCLA-trained bioengineer, has steered the company from its Hong Kong base while maintaining a significant operational footprint in Southern California, where its Americas division employs 42 people [RocketReach] [cbinsights.com]. This trans-Pacific structure leverages Hong Kong's position as a biotech hub while keeping the company close to both the U.S. regulatory landscape and its academic roots.
| Founder | Role | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Ricky Chiu | Chairman & CEO | UCLA-trained bioengineer, Hong Kong-based entrepreneur [cbinsights.com] [LinkedIn] |
| Daniel Kamei | Co-Founder | UCLA Professor of Bioengineering [UCLA Samueli School Of Engineering] |
| Benjamin Wu | Co-Founder | UCLA Professor of Bioengineering [UCLA Samueli School Of Engineering] |
| Garrett Mosley | Co-Founder | Leads R&D operations [UCLA Samueli School Of Engineering] |
Navigating a Crowded and Complex Field
The bet on urine-based cancer detection is ambitious precisely because the field is both crowded and fraught with clinical and commercial challenges. PHASE Scientific is entering a space populated by well-funded companies focused on blood-based liquid biopsies. The regulatory pathway for a multi-cancer early detection test is rigorous, requiring large-scale clinical trials to prove not just detection accuracy, but also that early detection leads to improved patient outcomes,a high bar that has tripped up others.
The company's most plausible answer to these risks is its specific technological differentiation. By starting with a proprietary sample preparation method designed for urine, PHASE Scientific is attempting to build a moat at the very beginning of the diagnostic chain. Its partnership with OHSU is a necessary move to generate the peer-reviewed clinical data that will be essential for both FDA approval and physician adoption. Furthermore, its experience in commercializing FDA-authorized diagnostics provides a tangible operational advantage over pure R-stage biotechs.
The Next Twelve Months: Data and Development
The immediate milestones for PHASE Scientific are clear. The infusion of Series A capital must translate into accelerated development of its MCED pipeline and the generation of robust clinical data from its OHSU collaboration. Watch for publications or presentations stemming from this partnership, as they will be the first independent validation of PHASIFY's performance in a cancer detection context.
Concurrently, the company will need to manage its dual identity. Maintaining its commercial diagnostics business provides revenue and stability, but the strategic focus and investor expectations are now firmly tied to the oncology pipeline. The next likely fundraising round, perhaps a Series B in 18-24 months, will be predicated on demonstrating clinical proof-of-concept that moves the urine-based test from a promising technology to a viable product candidate.
For patients at risk of cancers like those of the bladder, prostate, or kidney, the standard of care for detection and monitoring often involves a combination of imaging, invasive cystoscopies, and tissue biopsies. These procedures are costly, carry discomfort and risk, and are not ideal for frequent monitoring. A reliable, non-invasive urine test could fundamentally alter that clinical pathway, enabling earlier intervention and less burdensome surveillance. That is the patient outcome PHASE Scientific is ultimately chasing, a goal that makes its technical bet on a simple sample profoundly consequential.
Sources
- [Forbes, May 2025] This biotech startup raised $34 million for urine-based tests to help diagnose cancer | https://www.forbes.com/sites/catzxwang/2025/05/23/this-biotech-startup-raised-34-million-for-urine-based-tests-to-help-diagnose-cancer/
- [Mugglehead Investment Magazine] PHASE Scientific profile | https://mugglehead.com/company/phase-scientific/
- [medicaldevice-network.com] PHASE Scientific technology profile | https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/features/phase-scientific-technology/
- [OHSU News, 2025] OHSU partners with PHASE Scientific on MCED program | https://news.ohsu.edu/2025/04/15/ohsu-partners-with-phase-scientific
- [phasescientific.com] Company information and FDA authorization | https://phasescientific.com
- [UCLA Samueli School Of Engineering] Founding team background | https://samueli.ucla.edu/
- [RocketReach] PHASE Scientific Americas employee count | https://rocketreach.co
- [cbinsights.com] Company profile | https://www.cbinsights.com/company/phase-scientific
- [LinkedIn] Ricky Chiu profile | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennychinyuchiu/