Dxcover and the EIC Accelerator: A Blood Test for Brain Tumours

Dxcover, a 2016 spin-out of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow led by CEO and co-founder Matthew Baker, analyses blood serum with infrared spectroscopy and AI to detect cancer, starting with brain tumours. Its EIC award, from the October 2022 cut-off, was for "early detection of brain cancer through serum spectroscopy". In February 2023 Dxcover said it had received a grant of $2.7 million (£2.2 million) from the European Innovation Council alongside a $9.25 million Series A, to fund "a multi-center study for CE IVDR marking of the Dxcover Brain Cancer test", according to its announcement.

No project for Dxcover appears on CORDIS, the EU's register of funded projects, so there is no public EU report on what the grant produced. In March 2026 Dxcover announced that its liquid biopsy device had achieved CE marking under the EU in vitro diagnostics regulation as Class C software. A month earlier it made its UKCA-marked brain cancer test available to UK GPs and private specialists, citing a 99.3% negative predictive value, according to its announcement.

Where Dxcover Stands Now

Dxcover opened US operations in Tennessee in June 2025, where its laboratory offers the brain cancer test, with billing codes still to be determined, according to its US lab page. It presented data on multiple cancers at the AACR meeting in April 2026. Its 2025 accounts show net assets of £13.2 million and cash of £3.1 million, up from £8.7 million and £0.8 million a year earlier after a $6.2 million funding round, according to Companies House.

The Technology: Infrared Light and AI

Brain tumours are usually diagnosed at a serious stage, and pressure on imaging delays many patients, Dxcover says. Dxcover places a tiny serum sample on an infrared spectrometer and its software reads the chemical fingerprint to flag signs of cancer, giving results within 24 hours. In the UK it is pitched as a triage tool to reassure patients or speed up imaging referrals.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The award promised earlier detection of brain cancer during the treatment window. Because no project is published on CORDIS, there is no EU report of milestones, budget or results. Dxcover's own announcements show the multi-centre study and CE certification it said the grant would support, achieved three years later. The link between the EIC money and those results is stated only by the company.

1. CE-IVDR markingDeliveredMarch 2026.
2. UK clinical availabilityDeliveredUKCA, February 2026.
3. EU project reportingMissingNo CORDIS entry.
4. Commercial uptakeUnverifiedNo volumes published.

The Money

Dxcover says it had raised $21.4 million in total by February 2025. Its accounts are filed under the small-company regime and do not publish revenue. Mercia Fund Management's nominee company ceased to be a director in September 2026, the register shows.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

About 300,000 people a year are diagnosed with brain or central nervous system tumours worldwide, and five-year survival is about 33%, Dxcover says. A blood test for triage could shorten diagnosis. The EIC backed a UK company whose certified product is now in both European and US markets.

The Verdict

Dxcover and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.