Northern Irish digital pathology startup Cirdan raises £2.3m

Northern Irish startup Cirdan, which develops digital tools for pathology clinics, has raised £2.3m in a round led by Kernel Capital.

Based in Lisburn, Cirdan’s platform, which the company claims is used in over 150 laboratories and hospitals across 20 countries, offers a variety of digital support services for pathology.

The Cirdan platform includes specimen imaging services that support the process of scanning and evaluating the condition of patients, and laboratory information systems that collect high volumes of clinical data.

“Cirdan is a company on a positive growth trajectory with an excellent product, strong team and ‘blue-chip’ clients across six continents,” said Cirdan director Stephen Dunniece.

“The company is ideally placed to capitalise on the accelerated shift from traditional patient care to digital pathology which has the potential to revolutionise timely disease diagnosis leading to better and faster patient care.”

The investment was led by Kernel Capital through the Bank of Ireland Kernel Capital Growth Fund. Other participants in the round included Clarendon Fund Managers and a host of angel investors.

“Cirdan are a great example of an indigenous company delivering innovative and effective solutions that are making a difference for clinicians and patients both locally and internationally,” said Denise Sidhu, a partner at Kernel Capital.

The Bank of Ireland Kernel Capital Growth Fund was created to support Northern Irish SMEs. Capital for the fund has come from Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund.

Last year saw Northern Irish startups raise a record £139m in venture capital funding across 89 deals in 2022.