6 mlof blood, an 11-gene platelet RNA panel and AI: built to detect cancer from Stage I, in about 2.5 hours, on lab machines most labs already own.
Tumours change the RNA inside the platelets circulating in your blood.Source: Best et al., Cancer Cell (2015): RNA-seq of tumor-educated platelets TEPScan reads that change.
Illustration
Cancer cells release RNA and signalling molecules into the bloodstream, even when the tumour is small.
Circulating platelets take up tumour RNA and change their own RNA profile. These are tumor-educated platelets, or TEPs.
qRT-PCR measures the 11-gene TEP panel (patent application filed), and a batch-agnostic AI ensemble turns it into a result.
Five steps from a routine blood draw to an AI result in about 2.5 hours, on equipment most labs already own.
6 ml of blood in EDTA tubes (three vials), instead of the 15 ml many liquid biopsies need.
Platelets are fractionated from whole blood using Care Onco’s proprietary chemistry.
Proprietary chemistry extracts enough platelet RNA from just 6 ml of blood.
cDNA synthesis and qRT-PCR of the patent-pending 11-gene TEP panel.
A batch-agnostic, proprietary ensemble learner with data augmentation returns the result.
Key figures from Care Onco’s validation and the peer-reviewed 11-gene study.
Three in four cancers are detected at an advanced stage, when treatment is harder, costlier and less likely to work.
19.3M
new cancer cases a yearSource: IARC, GLOBOCAN 2020: 19.3 million new cancer cases
10.3M people were treated in the last one to five years.3
75%
of cases are found late3
Most cancers are detected only once symptoms appear.
9.6M
deaths in 2018Source: IARC, GLOBOCAN 2018: 9.6 million cancer deaths
About one in eight deaths worldwide.
Late diagnosis drives cost3
Monthly treatment cost for advanced disease
Share of the burden by region3
Sources
Every screening method in use forces a trade-off: cost, invasiveness, accuracy or timing. TEPScan is designed to remove it.
PET-CT, X-ray, mammography
Expensive and infrastructure-heavy.
Biopsy, endoscopy
Invasive and unsuitable for screening.
CA, CEA, PSA
Affordable, but inaccurate.
NGS panels
Expensive; covers hereditary cancers only (5–10%).
Liquid biopsy
Costly; CTCs appear only late in disease.
| Criterion | Galleri | CancerSEEK | Lunar 2 | TEPScan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detect early | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accurate | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Affordable | No | No | No | Yes |
| Accessible | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Multi-cancer | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Relapse detection | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Yes |
| On the market | Yes | No | No | CDSCO work started |
Swipe the table sideways to compare all tests.
Comparison based on publicly available information about each test, compiled by Care Onco Biotech in 2026.
The first launch covers lung (NSCLC) and head & neck cancer, with more modules in validation.
Care Onco sells kits to existing diagnostic chains. After the lab procedure, data flows to our AI cloud for a same-day result.
$387bn
Global addressable market1
Target ~0.30% share by 2030. Asia accounts for the largest share of cases.
Multi-cancer liquid biopsies today1
| Test | Cancers | Cost | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grail – Galleri | 25–50 | ~$1,000 | 7–10 days | Pre-commercial |
| Thrive Detect | >50 | ~$500 | 7–10 days | In development |
| Burning Rock | 3–22 | ~$450 | 7–14 days | Commercial, 3 cancers |
| TEPScan | 10+ | ~$150 | ~2.5 hours | CDSCO work started |
Competitor sensitivity ranges from 20% to 90%, rising with cancer stage.
Liquid biopsy today
$1,000–1,5001
per test, with results in 7–14 days.
TEPScan
$100–1501
per test, with results in about 2.5 hours.
Sources
2018–20
11-gene platelet panel co-developed at IIIT-Delhi.
2020
BMC Genomics paper; patent filing; AIIMS-D validation; technology transfer.
2021
MOUs with Mahajan, RGCIRC, TimesZpath and Agile.
2022–23
200+ samples; DSCI MOU; Norway breast cancer study.
2024–26
Kit formulated; 150 breast validations; CDSCO work started.
Across health, science, technology, finance, telecom and mining.
Chairman
Serial entrepreneur and Founder and CEO of Varaaha Minerals and Mining, with more than 30 years in mining, real estate and healthcare, and mines across several countries. He brings experience in building businesses and international trade networks.
Managing Director
Designated Partner and Managing Director of Varaaha Minerals and Mining. An entrepreneur with deep experience in mineral sourcing, trade and large-scale operations, he brings strengths in business expansion and a wide industry network.
CEO
More than 20 years in life sciences sales, marketing and business development, with an MSc in Biochemistry and an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur. He leads TEPScan’s go-to-market plan, from the Research Use Only launch to manufacturing and marketing partnerships.
Scientific Co-Founder & Board Advisor
Inventor of TEPScan and Professor of Computer Science and Computational Biology at IIIT-Delhi, and Honorary Adjunct Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. His group pioneered single-cell genomics and cancer liquid biopsy research in India. Awarded the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar), 2025, by the President of India.
National honours for the science behind TEPScan.
2025
Government of India
Awarded to Prof. Debarka Sengupta of IIIT-Delhi, inventor of TEPScan, by the President of India.
Source2022
Indian National Academy of Engineering
Awarded to Prof. Debarka Sengupta, Co-Founder of Care Onco Biotech.
SourceShort answers for partners, investors and labs. Anything else: info@careonco.ai.
TEPScan is a liquid biopsy from Care Onco Biotech that looks for signs of cancer in blood platelets. It measures an 11-gene RNA signature in tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) with qRT-PCR, and a proprietary AI model interprets the result. It needs 6 ml of blood and about 2.5 hours.
Platelets circulating in the blood take up RNA and other molecules released by tumours, which changes their own RNA profile. These altered platelets are called tumor-educated platelets. Because platelets are abundant and replaced every 7–10 days, their RNA offers a fresh, readable signal of what is happening in the body.
6 ml of blood collected in EDTA tubes (three vials). Many other liquid biopsies need around 15 ml.
In Care Onco’s validation across 400 samples from India and Norway, TEPScan reached an average accuracy (AUC) of about 91%, including Stage I disease. The published 11-gene signature reported an AUC of 0.91–0.94 for non-small cell lung cancer (Goswami et al., BMC Genomics, 2020).
The TEPScan programme covers 10+ cancer types, including lung (NSCLC), head & neck, breast, ovary, prostate, kidney, colon, pancreas, thyroid, soft tissue and gastric cancers. The first Research Use Only launch in India is planned for NSCLC and head & neck cancer.
Labs, hospitals, pharma partners and investors: talk to us about TEPScan.