Precision oncology startup 4baseCare has closed a funding of Rs 128 crore after raising an additional Rs 38 crore in a top-up round led by growX Ventures and Infosys, with participation from existing investors.The Bengaluru-based startup had earlier raised Rs 90 crore from investor Ashish Kacholia, Lashit Sanghvi, and existing backer Yali Capital. The company said the fresh capital will be used to expand its genomics laboratory network globally and scale its AI-led oncology platform, OncoTwin.“We want precision oncology globally to be more inclusive,” said Hitesh Goswami, cofounder and chief executive of 4baseCare. “Most genomic datasets, drug discovery, and clinical trials are still heavily concentrated in the US and Europe. We are building solutions for under-represented populations across India, the Middle East, southeast Asia, and Latin America.”Founded in 2019 by Goswami and Kshitij Rishi, 4baseCare develops genomics-driven cancer diagnostics and AI-powered clinical decision support tools. With a focus on addressing gaps in population-relevant genomic data, the company aims to enable more personalised cancer treatment.The company operates labs in India, Dubai, Nepal, and the Philippines, and plans to expand into 8-10 additional countries over the next 12-18 months.Alongside global expansion, 4baseCare is also decentralising genomic testing infrastructure in India through partnerships. The company recently partnered with Max Healthcare, AIIMS Jammu, and Shankara Hospital to set up in-hospital genomics labs instead of relying on centralised testing facilities.“Rather than having all samples shipped to Bengaluru, we are taking the technology closer to patients and doctors,” Goswami said. “That improves turnaround time, improves research collaboration, and makes advanced cancer diagnostics more accessible.”The startup currently operates four active labs in India and conducts around 1,500 genomic tests per month. With the planned expansion, the company expects testing volumes to scale to 8,000-10,000 tests per month, Rishi said.India sees nearly 15 lakh new cancer cases every year, with around 70% of patients diagnosed at advanced stages where systemic treatments such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy become critical. Genomic testing helps identify molecular changes in tumours and maps patients to more personalised remedies.“Earlier, cancer treatment was mostly chemotherapy. Now it is becoming far more targeted through genomics, biomarkers, and immunotherapy,” Rishi said.Beyond metros The company said adoption of genomic testing is now spreading beyond metro hospitals into smaller cities, driven partly by affordability initiatives and industry-sponsored programmes.“Earlier, most patients were from tier 1 hospitals. Now we are getting samples from Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, and many tier 2 and 3 cities,” Goswami explained.4baseCare said it has worked on lowering prices, with some of its earlier offerings nearly one-fourth the cost of competing solutions. The company eventually wants genomic testing to become part of public healthcare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat.Growth of precision oncologyGlobally, precision oncology has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments in healthcare AI, as hospitals and pharma companies increasingly use genomic and clinical datasets to personalise cancer treatment. However, most global datasets continue to be dominated by Caucasian populations, limiting treatment insights for emerging markets, which 4baseCare aims to address.The startup’s OncoTwin platform uses multimodal datasets including genomic, pathology, radiology, and clinical information to create “digital twins” of cancer patients and match them with similar treatment journeys and outcomes.“We are not recommending treatment directly. We are giving doctors real-world evidence of what worked for similar patients across datasets,” Rishi said.Infosys, which participated in the round through its innovation-focussed investments, sees value in the company’s AI and healthcare data capabilities.“It is mostly strategic in nature,” Goswami said. “Infosys realised that we are not just a diagnostics company. We are building AI solutions on top of healthcare datasets, and that aligns with larger healthcare and AI initiatives they are exploring with enterprise customers.”Infosys has also been expanding its health tech footprint globally through acquisitions and investments in healthcare data and AI-focussed companies, including US-based healthcare platform players.The company, which claims to have been revenue positive for the last five years, currently generates around Rs 40 crore in annual revenues and expects to cross Rs 100 crore over the next 12-18 months.

Original source: in