Bios Life Leaves Stealth with $25M and a Tempus Alliance for Cancer Surveillance
Bios Life is out of stealth with a Tempus data alliance and a plan to replace one-off cancer screening with continuous, AI-driven surveillance for high-risk people and survivors.
A New Approach to Cancer Screening
A team of BioNTech alumni thinks cancer screening has been stuck in the past, and it has raised $25M to do something about it. Bios Life aims to transition from traditional one-off screenings to continuous, AI-driven surveillance, targeting over 40 million Americans who are either cancer survivors or at heightened risk.
The Problem and Solution
The company highlights that more than 40% of people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, often at later stages, when treatment is more challenging. Bios Life proposes a shift from episodic to continuous care, using AI to create a digital twin for each patient, updated regularly based on their biology.
Virtual-First Delivery Model
The service will be delivered virtually through an online care platform staffed by licensed clinicians in partnership with cancer centers. A launch is scheduled for the second half of 2026, and a waitlist is already open.
Powering the Technology
Bios Life’s technology leverages the Nucleotide Transformer, a genomics foundation model from BioNTech-InstaDeep, capable of reading genetic signals down to a single nucleotide. The Tempus alliance provides access to de-identified, multi-modal oncology datasets, enabling training and validation of predictive systems. Additionally, Ambry Genetics’ hereditary cancer testing services will integrate genetic screening into the platform.
Expert Support
Clinical backers, including Duke’s Kevin Oeffinger, believe this AI-enhanced virtual model could be a "game changer" for high-risk groups. The founders’ BioNTech and InstaDeep backgrounds further bolster the pitch, given their success with mRNA and genomics-AI technologies.
Advanced Technology
The technology already demonstrates promising results, spotting breast cancer from scans and, in some studies, even surpassing biopsies in assessing rare tumors. This momentum supports the founders’ vision for data-driven medicine.