Skin cancer remains one of the most widespread forms of cancer globally, but access to early diagnosis is still a serious challenge. With millions of new cases each year and too few dermatologists to meet demand—just 30 per million people across Europe—patients often face dangerous delays. For many, those delays can be life-threatening.
British healthtech startup Skin Analytics is tackling this crisis head-on, aiming to ensure that no one dies from skin cancer simply because they couldn’t get diagnosed in time.
With its cutting-edge AI platform, Skin Analytics just secured £15 million in Series B funding to expand its life-saving mission across the globe. The round was led by Intrepid Growth Partners and follows a major milestone: the company’s AI system, DERM, became the first AI device to receive the EU MDR Class III CE mark for making clinical decisions on skin cancer diagnosis—completely autonomously.
The new funding will fuel Skin Analytics’ global expansion, especially in markets like Europe and Australia where dermatologist shortages are acute. The startup also has its sights set on the U.S. and is actively hiring world-class AI and healthcare talent to support this next phase.
From Simple Idea to Global AI Cancer Detection Tool
Launched in 2012 by Neil Daly, Skin Analytics started with a clear goal: to make early skin cancer detection accessible and scalable through technology. By 2015, the company had introduced teledermatology services and quickly evolved into a frontrunner in AI-powered diagnostics.
DERM is unlike typical medical AIs. It’s trained on over a decade of real-world data, enabling it to distinguish between malignant lesions, pre-cancerous conditions, and benign skin concerns with remarkable accuracy. The AI not only identifies which patients urgently need a specialist but also spots those who don’t—freeing up limited healthcare resources.
In fact, DERM can discharge up to 40% of suspected cancer cases that turn out to be non-urgent, which helps overwhelmed dermatologists focus where it matters most. In NHS trials, it has reduced face-to-face dermatology visits by as much as 95%.
DERM’s Negative Predictive Value is an astonishing 99.8%, meaning it almost never misses an urgent cancer diagnosis. That even surpasses the average 98.9% accuracy of human dermatologists in live consultations. So far, Skin Analytics’ AI has been deployed across 26 NHS sites, has reviewed over 150,000 patients, and detected more than 14,000 cancers.
Scaling Global Access to Early Detection
What makes Skin Analytics so unique is its combination of scientific rigor, regulatory approval, and real-world impact. As it expands to new countries, the goal is not just to support dermatologists, but to completely rethink how skin cancer is diagnosed—making it faster, cheaper, and accessible to everyone.
Founder and CEO Neil Daly says the company’s vision is about more than just tech—it’s about giving everyone peace of mind. He believes AI offers the power to eliminate specialist scarcity and create a healthcare system that’s truly responsive to patient needs.
Meanwhile, Mark Machin of Intrepid Growth Partners sees the investment as a bet on meaningful impact. For him, Skin Analytics represents the future of healthcare: one where machine intelligence can dramatically improve outcomes and lower costs.
With £15 million now in the bank, Skin Analytics is poised to change the landscape of AI skin cancer diagnosis around the world.
