French entrepreneur Fanny Jaulin's startup, Orakl Oncology, has raised €15 million in funding to tackle the pressing issue of cancer incidence, particularly among younger adults. The startup's innovative approach applies artificial intelligence (AI) to clinical trial design, with the goal of increasing the success rate of cancer drug compounds.

The problem, according to Jaulin, lies in the current clinical trial design, which often leads to the failure of promising drug compounds. "Just because a drug isn't successful in clinical trials doesn't mean it's not a good drug," she emphasized. This realization sparked the creation of Orakl Oncology, which operates at the intersection of data and biology to develop more effective clinical trials.

Orakl's unique approach combines the strengths of both data and biology, setting it apart from companies that focus solely on one or the other. This hybrid approach enables the creation of avatars that combine real patient backgrounds with tissue, allowing for more accurate and personalized clinical trials. The startup is currently working on organoids, miniaturized in vitro versions of organs, to further enhance its trial design.

The data layer of Orakl's platform includes an impressive 40 variables per patient, making up for the smaller corpus size compared to larger competitors. The initial focus is on colorectal and pancreatic cancers, with plans to expand to other types of cancer in the future.

With its funding in place, Orakl plans to commercialize two products: O-Predict, which helps customers forecast patient response to a drug candidate, and O-Validate, which reverses the process to identify optimal drug candidates. These products will cater to both drug developers and AI- and data-led biotech companies, providing a valuable tool in the fight against cancer.

The €15 million funding, led by European VC fund Singular, brings Orakl's total capital raised to date to nearly €15 million. This investment will primarily be used to build a commercial team to close contracts and drive the adoption of Orakl's innovative clinical trial design.

While the funding is a significant milestone, Jaulin's motivation for becoming an entrepreneur goes beyond financial success. Her long-term goal is to unblock the precision medicine discovery process, enabling the development of more effective cancer treatments and improving patient outcomes. With cancer becoming a chronic disease, Jaulin believes that the therapeutic arsenal must be expanded to meet the growing need for innovative treatments.

The success of Orakl Oncology has significant implications for the healthtech industry, highlighting the potential of AI-powered clinical trial design to revolutionize cancer treatment. As the startup continues to grow and develop its innovative approach, it may pave the way for a new era of precision medicine and improved patient outcomes.