endoluminal solutions, Inc. (Headquarters: Osaka, Japan) has raised a total of JPY 85 million in seed funding from Yamashina Seiki Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Ritto, Shiga, Japan) and Hong Kong BlueSky Technologies Innovation Co., Limited (Headquarters: Hong Kong) to accelerate the development of its disposable endoscopy system dedicated to gastric cancer screening.
The funding will be used to further advance the endoscope, AI-assisted screening system, and digital screening information management system currently under development.
Our ultra-slim, 4-mm-class disposable endoscopy system is designed to serve as a new screening infrastructure that could replace conventional barium X-ray examinations. By reducing patient discomfort and infection risks, the system aims to enable efficient, large-scale population-based gastric cancer screening.
Background of the Funding
Gastric cancer is one of the major cancers in Japan, claiming approximately 40,000 lives annually.
Although screening programs are conducted to facilitate early detection, conventional barium X-ray examinations have long faced challenges, including limited cancer detection accuracy and radiation exposure.
Recognizing these issues, we have focused on endoscopic examinations as an alternative to barium-based screening and are developing a disposable endoscopy system that is patient-friendly, highly accurate, and cost-effective.
Through this seed funding round, we will accelerate our research and development activities and contribute to the early detection of gastric cancer and the reduction of gastric cancer mortality, not only in Japan but also worldwide.
Comments from Our Company
Kiyokazu Nakajima
Founder and Director, endoluminal solutions, Inc.
Specially Appointed Professor, Department of Next Generation Endoscopic Intervention, The University of Osaka
“Currently, barium X-ray examinations, which remain the predominant method of gastric cancer screening in Japan, face challenges related to cancer detection accuracy and radiation exposure.
Meanwhile, conventional gastroscopes were not originally designed specifically for screening purposes. Their functionality clearly exceeds what is required for screening, and their high costs and operational demands have hindered wider adoption.
To address these challenges, we are developing the world’s slimmest single-use endoscope, specifically designed for gastric cancer screening, combining simplicity, high accuracy, and affordability.
Our goal is to establish a screening system that minimizes the burden on healthcare providers while enabling more people to access high-quality gastric cancer screening.
With this investment, we will further accelerate technological development and promote real-world implementation as two complementary pillars of our efforts toward realizing a society with zero deaths from gastric cancer.”
Takuya Kanda
Co-Founder, Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO), endoluminal solutions, Inc.
“More than 20 million people undergo gastric cancer screening annually in Japan, and the product we are developing has significant social value and market potential.
Furthermore, gastric cancer is one of the major cancers in East Asia, particularly in China and South Korea. Given the strong demand for screening in these regions, we have envisioned international expansion from the outset.
While this seed funding round will enable us to advance development, continued support will be essential to bring this project into widespread practical use.
We are planning a Series A funding round between the end of 2026 and early 2027. Through partnerships with companies in Japan and overseas, we aim to accelerate our global expansion, beginning in Asia.
We welcome inquiries from investors and corporate partners who share our long-term vision and are willing to join us in advancing gastric cancer screening to the next stage.”
Comments from Investors
Yoichiro Okusa
President and Representative Director, Yamashina Seiki Co., Ltd.
“The disposable endoscopy system dedicated to gastric cancer screening being developed by endoluminal solutions represents an ambitious effort to fundamentally transform gastric cancer screening.
This initiative brings together the extensive experience accumulated over more than 20 years of medical device development by Dr. Seiichi Nakajima, a surgeon who has devoted himself to advancing medical technology.
We are extremely pleased to collaborate with a team that demonstrates such a strong commitment and passion for addressing important social challenges.
Through this investment, we hope to support the advancement of both product development and business activities, and we look forward to seeing gastric cancer screening practices improve around the world as soon as possible.”
Benyan Zhang
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hong Kong BlueSky Technologies Innovation Co., Limited
“Gastric cancer remains a serious public health challenge, particularly in East Asia.
Establishing effective and less burdensome screening methods that enable early detection is an urgent global priority.
The gastric cancer screening system being developed by endoluminal solutions combines simplicity, affordability, and high accuracy.
We believe this system has the potential not only to reduce regional disparities in access to healthcare in Japan, but also to make a significant contribution to reducing gastric cancer mortality in Asia and other parts of the world where screening infrastructure remains insufficient.
Through this investment, we strongly support the innovative technologies and unwavering commitment of endoluminal solutions toward realizing a society with zero deaths from gastric cancer.
Guided by our belief that ‘Healthcare Knows No Borders,’ we will support the early commercialization and real-world implementation of this technology.
Together with endoluminal solutions, we also aspire to see this system become one of the globally recognized standard options for gastric cancer screening in the future.”
Comment from Our Medical Advisor (Gastric Cancer Screening Specialist)
Katsuaki Kato
Director, Cancer Screening Center, Miyagi Cancer Society
Chairperson, Editorial Committee for the Revised Manual of Gastric Endoscopic Screening for Population-Based Cancer Screening
“Approximately ten years have passed since gastric endoscopic screening was introduced in Japan as part of the country’s public cancer control measures.
Currently, gastric endoscopic screening is primarily conducted through individual examinations utilizing the existing health insurance-based medical care framework.
Although this approach provides high diagnostic accuracy, it also places a considerable burden on regional healthcare systems.
As a result, several challenges have become increasingly apparent, including limitations in examination capacity, geographical disparities in the distribution of medical institutions, and the high cost of providing screening services.
Consequently, some regions still cannot fully benefit from gastric endoscopic screening.
The disposable endoscopy system dedicated to gastric cancer screening being developed by endoluminal solutions is expected to offer an effective solution to three major challenges associated with conventional endoscopic screening: examination throughput, accessibility, and cost efficiency, while maintaining the performance necessary and sufficient for gastric cancer screening.
If this system is successfully implemented in clinical practice, it could expand opportunities to provide high-accuracy gastric endoscopic screening as an alternative to gastric X-ray examinations (barium screening), even in regions that have traditionally relied on mobile screening units.
By eliminating the disadvantage of radiation exposure for examinees, the system could help create a society in which everyone has equal access to high-quality gastric cancer screening, regardless of where they live.
I have high expectations for the contribution this system could make toward achieving that goal.”
Future Development
In addition to developing the endoscopic device itself, we are also working on an AI-assisted screening system and digital transformation (DX) solutions for screening information management.
Our AI-assisted screening system is designed to support and streamline the entire screening workflow, including observation, documentation, and assessment, by utilizing image data and other information obtained during examinations.
In parallel, our digital screening information management system aims to digitize and centrally manage screening results and related information, improving operational efficiency for screening institutions and local governments while enabling more effective utilization of screening data.
Furthermore, through this digital screening information management system, we aim to establish a framework that allows individuals to continuously access and review their own screening information.
This is expected to encourage greater health awareness and regular participation in screening programs, while also reducing the burden of explaining examination results at screening institutions and improving the quality and operational efficiency of screening programs managed by local governments.
Further technical details of these systems will be disclosed progressively in accordance with the advancement of our intellectual property strategy, including patent applications.
In the medium term, we aim to establish a new standard for gastric cancer screening by integrating the endoscopic device, AI-assisted screening system, and digital screening information management system into a unified solution that simultaneously improves screening efficiency and ensures consistent screening quality.