SEGNOS raises pre-Series A for nanotech blood testing platform Therma-Max

Funding and focus

SEGNOS, a Tokyo-based startup spun out from chemical firm JNC in 2024, has completed a pre-Series A funding round with BP Capital as the sole investor. The funding amount was not disclosed. According to THE BRIDGE, the proceeds will be directed toward advancing research and development for healthcare testing and in vitro diagnostic drugs.

Therma-Max and AptIa: Core technologies

SEGNOS’s flagship product, Therma-Max, is a temperature-responsive magnetic nanoparticle designed for the separation process in blood testing. The technology can detect targets at or below femtogram per milliliter (fg/mL), a sensitivity level significantly higher than conventional products, which typically operate at picogram per milliliter (pg/mL) scales.

The startup has also developed AptIa, a proprietary detection method created in collaboration with Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. AptIa combines DNA aptamers with Therma-Max to reduce costs to one-tenth of traditional methods like ELISA, shorten testing time by up to two-thirds, and improve sensitivity by up to tenfold. These claims, reported by THE BRIDGE, position AptIa as a potential alternative to established diagnostic tools.

Origins and partnerships

SEGNOS was established in 2024 as a carve-out from JNC, a Japanese chemical company. JNC remains a technology provider and shareholder, indicating an ongoing collaborative relationship. The startup’s President and CEO is Noriyuki Ohnishi, who leads the company’s efforts to commercialize its nanotechnology for medical diagnostics.

What this means

Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

SEGNOS’s funding and technology signal a shift in diagnostic capabilities, particularly for early disease detection. For founders and operators in biotech and healthcare, this underscores the growing investment in platforms that combine nanotechnology with cost-efficient, high-sensitivity diagnostics. The focus on blood testing—where minimal sample sizes can yield faster and cheaper results—could disrupt traditional diagnostic methods like ELISA. Startups in this space may find opportunities to collaborate or compete, especially if SEGNOS’s approach proves scalable beyond Japan.

Key takeaways

• Therma-Max’s sensitivity (fg/mL detection) could set a new benchmark for blood testing, relevant for startups developing diagnostic tools.
• AptIa’s cost and time reductions (1/2 to 1/10 cheaper, 1/2 to 1/3 faster) challenge incumbents relying on ELISA or similar methods.
• The funding round, while not disclosed, highlights investor interest in nanotechnology-driven healthcare innovations.
• SEGNOS’s carve-out model from JNC and university collaboration may offer a template for deep-tech startups commercializing academic research.

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