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AMLo Biosciences is a medical diagnostics company based in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, that develops innovative prognostic tests to identify the metastasis risk of early-stage melanoma. The enterprise provides its proprietary AMBLor testing kits to dermatologists, oncologists, and pathologists, helping determine which patients require intensive follow-up care and which can safely avoid unnecessary treatments. Founded in 2017 as a spinout from Newcastle University, the firm is led by Chief Executive Officer Marie Labus and Chief Scientific Officer Professor Penny Lovat. Operating with a team of 21 to 50 employees, the business has secured over five million dollars across two venture funding rounds alongside substantial research grants. Backed by investors including the Ascension Life Fund, the company recently utilized an equity investment to accelerate the commercial rollout of its diagnostics across the US, UK, and Australia.
Amlo Biosciences has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round.
Amlo Biosciences has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Amlo Biosciences has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Series U in December 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2024 | $2M Series U | — | Northstar Ventures | Announced |
Amlo Biosciences has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Amlo Biosciences's investors include Northstar Ventures.
AMLo Biosciences is a medtech company developing prognostic and diagnostic tests for skin cancers, primarily targeting early-stage cutaneous melanoma. Its flagship product, AMBLor, is a "rule-out" test using immunohistochemistry to identify low-risk melanomas, stratifying patients for appropriate treatment and surveillance, reducing unnecessary procedures, patient anxiety, and healthcare costs.[1][2][3] The company serves dermatologists, oncologists, and health systems in the UK, US, and Australia, addressing over-treatment in early-stage cases where most patients do not progress to metastasis.[3][5] Since spinning out in 2017, AMLo has raised nearly £5m across funding rounds, grown to 15 employees, achieved ISO 13485 accreditation in 2023, and launched AMBLor via partnerships like Avero Diagnostics in the US, with three additional products in late-stage R&D.[1][2]
AMLo Biosciences spun out from Newcastle University in 2017, translating academic research in cancer biomarkers into commercial diagnostics.[1][2][4] Founded by an all-female academic and management team—led by CEO and co-founder Dr. Marie Labus—the company started as a "two-woman band" focused on improving skin cancer outcomes and cutting healthcare costs.[2] Key early traction included securing IP protection with rapid European patent grants within three years, enabling commercialization.[4] Pivotal moments: £2.45m raised in 2020 (including from NorthStar Ventures, Future Planet Capital, and others) to fund clinical studies and launches in UK/US (2022) and Australia (2023); additional £2.5m in 2020 for team growth and regulatory hires; and ISO 13485 accreditation in January 2023.[1][3][5][6] By 2020, it relocated to The Biosphere in Newcastle Helix, scaling to 12-15 employees while subcontracting locally.[2]
AMLo rides the precision oncology wave, where biomarker-driven diagnostics shift reactive cancer care to proactive, risk-stratified models, fueled by rising skin cancer incidence and demands for cost-efficient health systems.[1][3] Timing aligns with post-pandemic regulatory accelerations (e.g., ISO 13485) and US market potential (50% of global demand), amplified by partnerships like Avero Diagnostics.[1][7] Market forces favoring AMLo include over-treatment costs in melanoma surveillance—saving millions via "rule-out" tests—and growing medtech investment in non-invasive tools.[1][2][5] It influences the ecosystem by validating university spin-outs in the UK North East, creating jobs via Newcastle Helix, and paving the way for IHC-based tests in other cancers.[2][3]
AMLo is poised for US expansion with a planned £2.5-3m raise to establish its own lab, bypassing partnerships for direct testing control amid soft-launch success.[1] Trends like AI-enhanced biomarkers and global guideline inclusions will accelerate adoption, while pipeline validation could double addressable markets in high-risk melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma.[1] Its influence may evolve from regional spin-out to global diagnostics player, potentially attracting big pharma partnerships as precision medtech scales—transforming skin cancer management from the ground up, much like its origin in overlooked academic biomarkers.[1][3]
