London-based Perci Health, the first online personalized cancer care support community in the world, has raised £3.4 million in a seed round headed by Octopus Ventures.
The company will be able to grow its personnel, invest in its technology roadmap, and provide more access to cancer patients thanks to this funding.
Over the past few decades, substantial advances in cancer survival have been made possible by advancements in cancer screening, diagnostics, and innovative cancer medicines. However, aftercare for cancer patients has lagged. Taking care of cancer survivors is a relatively new area of medicine because only 30 years ago, cancer was a death sentence.
The goal of Perci is to question the status quo and alter people’s perspectives of life after cancer treatment. Their specialized digital platform offers personalized programs to cancer patients, survivors, and their carers. The programs offer assistance at every stage of the cancer continuum, from planning for treatment to recovering and rehabilitating.
2020 saw the founding of the company by Kelly McCabe and Morgan Fitzsimons, who received funding from prominent UK oncologists and cancer surgeons. As a licensed oncology dietitian and former COO of cancer services at HCA International, McCabe has more than 12 years of experience in the field of cancer treatment. Fitzsimons formerly held the positions of digital director at CBS Television in NYC and global head of marketing at ASOS. Octopus Ventures’ Chantal Cox led the round and will serve on the BODs.
Our healthcare systems face significant problems in treating a growing population of patients who have cancer and other diseases. To address this problem, Perci Health helps people make wise decisions regarding their long-term health and wellness while also increasing access to high-quality personalized cancer care. Instead of replacing the main form of cancer treatment, personalized therapeutic support is offered to better control long-term side effects.
Traditionally-term care for cancer patients has traditionally required more financing and inventive solutions. Since the beginning of this movement, charities like Macmillan have drawn attention to the gap in service delivery, with cancer patients citing a feeling of “abandonment” when their treatment is finished.
Co-founder Kelly McCabe stated: “Cancer survivors feel adrift in transition. They continue to suffer from the late and long-term effects of curative cancer therapies because they are unable to access the care they require and because the healthcare system is complicated and disorganized. We at Perci are working to change that with the help of our expanding team of experts.
“Perci Health is investigating the best ways to support NHS treatment facilities after experiencing initial success by securing creative reimbursement mechanisms for this urgently needed care through employers and insurance.
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“Every day, 1,000 people in the UK receive a cancer diagnosis, and 36% of them are working age. However, even for those with comprehensive medical insurance, there is little to no support aimed at assisting with helping to continue in or return to work after cancer treatment. Employers are searching for creative strategies to better help their cancer-affected staff.
We want to support individuals and initiatives that will positively impact the globe, according to Chantal Cox, Investor, Health, and Octopus Ventures. We recognize that Kelly and Morgan can significantly improve holistic cancer treatment for both survivors and their loved ones due to their substantial global experience and networks in personalized cancer care and brand marketing, respectively.
“We were impressed with their commitment and method of providing human-centric care that goes above and beyond diagnosis. As I join the board and Perci Health joins the Octopus Ventures family, I am looking forward to working with Morgan, Kelly, and the rest of the team in the future.
“Over the past year, we’ve been able to support many people affected by cancer access high quality, individualized clinical care, delivered by an incredible community of cancer specialists who are typically difficult to reach outside of the UK’s major cancer centers,” McCabe continued. The investment from Octopus Ventures validates the scope and significance of the issue we are attempting to address as well as our strategy of fusing the best human and technological expertise to develop scalable, sustainable healthcare models.
