Developing comprehensive screening for early cancer is key to saving the most lives.
Although Multiple Cancer Early Detection (MCED) tests are still under investigation and not FDA approved, several tests are commercially available for consumers who are willing to pay out-of-pocket. Individuals can ask their doctor for Grail’s Galleri blood test or opt for a full-body MRI offered by companies like Prenuvo and Ezra (typically costing $2,000 or more).
Consumers will soon have another and rather unique way to screen for multiple types of cancer.
SpotitEarly, a biotech company participating in TechCrunch Disrupt 2025’s Startup Battlefield, is developing an at-home cancer test that combines dogs’ excellent sense of smell with AI to analyze human breath.
SpotitEarly CEO Shlomi Madar told TechCrunch that the science is becoming increasingly clear: dogs can be trained to sniff out human diseases, especially cancer. “We also have occasional reports from people whose companion dogs sensed something was wrong with them long before they were diagnosed,” he says.
Drawing on his 15 years of experience as a health and biotechnology leader, Mr. Madar collaborated with three friends, one of whom is a former K9 unit commander, to develop reliable methods and techniques for cancer screening by analyzing breath samples.
Users can screen for cancer by simply collecting a breath sample at home and sending it to SpotitEarly’s lab. The company employs 18 beagles trained to identify cancer-specific odors. The dogs are taught to sit if they smell cancer particles, and SpotitEarly’s AI platform verifies their behavior.
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“We have cameras on top of the lab. We also have microphones that capture the dogs’ breathing patterns. We also monitor their heart rates. So the machine learning is basically understanding the baseline of the entire herd,” Madar said. “That’s why the handler gets more accurate information than just observing the dog.”
The company’s research, published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, showed that its trained dogs could detect early cancer in breath samples with 94% accuracy. The double-blind clinical study involved 1,400 participants and focused on screening for the four most common cancers: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer.
Founded in Israel in 2020, SpotitEarly announced its entry into the U.S. market in May with $20.3 million in funding from Hanako VC, Menomedin VC, Jeff Swartz (former CEO of Timberland), and Abishai Abrahami (CEO of Wix.com).
The company plans to use the funding to significantly expand its clinical research, starting with a separate test for breast cancer and then moving on to three other target cancers.
Madar said SpotitEarly’s at-home screening kits should be available to consumers through its physician network next year. He said a single cancer test costs about $250, and each additional cancer screening costs a fraction of the initial test. In order to prioritize accessibility, the company aims to keep the price of its multi-gun panels lower than the cost of competitors such as Grail’s Galleri inspection, which typically costs about $950.
As for the dogs, Madar said they are part of the team. All of the company’s employees must be “dog people,” Madar said. “We’re not just using them as biosensors. They have a lot of room to play. They’re not only great sneakers and great workers, but they’re also great companions.”
If you want to learn directly from SpotitEarly, see more pitches, attend valuable workshops, and make connections that drive business results, go here to learn more about this year’s Disrupt in San Francisco, October 27-29.
