The basics:

• SpotitEarly partners with HITLAB to accelerate US commercialization
• Dog-sniffing, AI-powered test targets earlier cancer detection
• Clinical trial demonstrated about 94% accuracy
• Startup preparing to launch breast cancer test next year

An Englewood-based biotech focused on using trained canines and artificial intelligence as an early cancer detection tool is partnering with a globally recognized health technology research organization.

As part of the strategic collaboration announced July 16, SpotitEarly will work with New York City-headquartered HITLAB (Healthcare Innovation and Technology Lab) to accelerate its U.S. commercialization and capital development.

Founded in 2020, SpotitEarly aims to improve access to cancer screening, enhance early detection rates and significantly boost survival outcomes with its breath-based, at-home test for multiple types of cancer.

The screening kit relies on the olfactory abilities of trained dogs combined with a proprietary AI platform to detect cancer odor signatures found in a patient’s volatile organic compounds. During a two-year clinical trial involving 1,386 individuals, the platform demonstrated roughly 94% accuracy in both detecting cancer and determining patients who did not have it, findings in Scientific Reports showed.

Under the partnership, HITLAB will support SpotitEarly’s growth via investor introductions, strategic advisory and speaking opportunities at its 2026 flagship events.

Since its launch in 1998, Columbia University-affiliated HITLAB has worked with companies including Novo Nordisk, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Microsoft. Along with an established network of healthcare-focused investors and industry leaders, the organization touts its “deep experience validating and commercializing health technologies.”

‘A potentially groundbreaking approach’

The relationship comes as SpotitEarly prepares to bring its breast cancer breath test to market next year. As of May 2025, the company has raised more than $20.3 million in funding to help strengthen its technology and scale.

SpotitEarly is also kicking off a national investor roadshow this month as it prepares for its next funding round. Scheduled for stops in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Palo Alto, the tour will offer investors and family offices a chance to learn more about the company ahead of the commercial launch.

Additionally, the startup is advancing multiple clinical studies with leading health systems across the country.

That includes a 2,000-participant, multicenter, double-blind observational study with Hackensack Meridian Health focused on breast cancer detection. The research effort will initially focus on breast cancer detection. However, there are future plans to broaden research to include other cancer types, such as lung and prostate, the partners said last fall.

Dr. Andre Goy, physician-in-chief and vice president of oncology at Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center, has described the technology as “a potentially groundbreaking approach to screening” that “aligns perfectly with our mission to transform cancer care through proactive prevention.”

“Almost two-thirds of cancer diagnoses have no screening test. At Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center, we are deeply committed to early cancer detection – the ultimate way to improve patient outcomes,” Goy has also said.

Meet Ollie and learn more about early breast cancer detection (courtesy of Hackensack Meridian Health):

The next step

SpotitEarly is also pursuing a lung cancer research project with Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia.

SpotitEarly CEO Shlomi Madar said, “We’ve built the clinical evidence and the partnerships with world-class institutions. The next step is making sure the investment and healthcare communities see what our data shows and understand the scale of the opportunity.”

“HITLAB sits at the center of digital health innovation and connects us directly with the investors, health system leaders and key opinion leaders who can help bring this technology to the patients who need it,” he said.

HITLAB Chair Stan Kachnowski commented, “SpotitEarly represents the kind of evidence-backed, patient-centered innovation HITLAB was built to support. Their published clinical data, combined with a genuinely novel approach to cancer detection, positions them to close one of the most significant gaps in preventative care.”

“We look forward to connecting them with the investor and industry networks that can help take this technology to scale,” he said.