Zilico Receives £985K in Funding

Zilico Limited, a Sheffield, UK-based company that has developed a technology to speed up and improve cervical cancer diagnosis, has received £985k in funding.

Backers include The North West Fund for Biomedical, managed by SPARK Impact, which has committed £750k, Fusion IP plc, and new and existing investors.

The company intends to use the funding to complete the manufacture of commercial devices and to expand in the EU and other territories.

Founded in 2006 as a spin out from the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust by CEO Sameer Kothari, Zilico is developing a system to provide ‘real time’ results for women undergoing Pap smear and LBC test.
The system consists of a portable hand-held device, a single use disposable sleeve and docking station.
The technology used, called electrical impedance spectroscopy, can measure the resistivity of cells and so detects changes as cells progress from normal to precancerous and then to cancerous.
The first application of the device is positioned within the referral population, and could help in reducing the number of biopsies taken. The second application, which is under development, will be positioned as a screening device and will help to reduce the subjectivity and time-taken with current tests.

FinSMEs

21/06/2012

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