Luminate, a startup developing wearable devices to improve cancer treatment, has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round to accelerate its innovation and bring cancer care into patients’ homes. Led by Artis Ventures, with participation from Metaplanet, Lachy Groom, 8VC, SciFounders, and Faber, this latest investment will enable Luminate to expand its U.S. presence and move closer to FDA approval for its flagship product, the Lily helmet.
The Lily helmet is designed to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy, a common and distressing side effect of cancer treatment. By applying even pressure across the scalp, the device blocks chemotherapy drugs from reaching hair follicles, helping to retain hair. According to Aaron Hannon, CEO of Luminate, early trials have shown that the helmet prevents hair loss in about 75% of patients. “We’ve had patients finish four to 12 chemo treatments and keep a full head of hair,” Hannon said, noting that the feedback from patients has been overwhelmingly positive.
With the new funding, Luminate is preparing for a multi-center study in the U.S., aiming to secure FDA clearance for the Lily helmet. The study, expected to start in November, will involve 85 patients across several states, including New York and Florida, and is anticipated to last seven to eight months. This larger-scale trial is crucial for the commercial release of the product, which has already shown promise in earlier tests.
In addition to the Lily helmet, Luminate is developing a new product, Lilac, to reduce chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, a painful side effect affecting patients’ extremities. The Lilac glove and boot set builds on the pressure technology used in the Lily helmet to prevent nerve damage at the extremities. “It took us maybe two years to go from pre-clinical to completing a first patient trial showing efficacy for Lily; it took us one year for Lilac,” Hannon said in an interview with TechCrunch, highlighting the team’s progress.
The company’s broader vision, however, extends beyond individual devices. Luminate aims to bring cancer care into the home, reducing the need for hospital visits and making treatments more accessible. While still in its early stages, the company is exploring ways to enable patients to perform blood work and receive low-complexity chemotherapy treatments at home.
The $15 million funding round will also support Luminate’s long-term goal of home-based cancer care. As cancer diagnoses increase and treatment durations grow, care centers are struggling to keep up with demand. Luminate believes that moving some aspects of cancer care into the home can help alleviate this burden, allowing more patients to receive timely and comfortable treatment.
