Key Investor Signals
Raised €350K from Future Tech Ventures and angels
invested €350K in SPCTR, with angel investors joining the round. The fund was established by the , its university hospital, and two regional investment bodies.
First-in-human study underway at two Dutch hospitals
SPCTR-I is evaluating against pathology during breast-conserving surgery. is recruiting patients, with listed as the second study site.
SPCTR's CEO brings prior clinical experience in surgical imaging
Wido Heeman developed PerfusiX-Imaging at and carried it from prototype through to first-in-human studies.
Other Positive Signals
- Joined , the startup incubator at Utrecht Science Park.
Team
Wido Heeman
CEO and Co-Founder
- Took PerfusiX-Imaging from prototype to first-in-human studies at LIMIS between 2017 and 2025.
- Earned a PhD cum laude in biomedical engineering from the University of Groningen for translating the imaging technology into clinical use.
- First-authored a review of clinical that has been cited by more than 250 subsequent papers.
Rowan Timmermans
CTO and Co-Founder
- Co-led the Assistant from prototype to general availability and release to more than 1M users.
- Built a application used by more than 6,000 people to schedule wind-turbine maintenance.
- Holds a master's degree cum laude in econometrics and operations research from the University of Groningen.
Product
SPCTR is developing SPCTRone, a device used during breast-conserving surgery to assess whether cancer remains at the edge of removed tissue. It analyzes reflected light and uses AI trained against pathology to provide a result while the patient is still in the operating room.
Breast surgery as the first clinical use
SPCTR is starting with breast-conserving surgery, where is a frequent and standardized part of the procedure. The company plans to expand the same tissue-analysis approach to other solid tumors.
Dye-free analysis of removed tissue
The device shines light onto the cut surface and analyzes the spectrum reflected by the tissue. Nothing is injected into the patient or added to the specimen.
Designed for the existing surgical team
The AI model is trained against pathologists' assessments of the same tissue. SPCTR aims to provide a result the surgical team can use without an additional specialist in the room.
Market Overview
Breast-conserving surgery is the preferred operation for many patients with early breast cancer, but surgeons usually receive the final margin assessment only after pathology. In a study covering 109,475 Dutch procedures, 10.8% had tumor-positive margins and 40.9% of patients had at least one known risk factor before surgery.
Hospitals already use , , and probe-based devices to assess margins during surgery. These existing workflows show that hospitals will pay for an intraoperative answer, although many require extra operating-room time or specialist interpretation.
New cases of breast cancer worldwide in 2024.
Share of 109,475 Dutch procedures in which cancer was found at the cut edge.
Additional US healthcare cost over the year following breast-conserving surgery when a further operation is required.
Projected market growth from 2025 to 2030, representing a 6.8% compound annual growth rate.
Comparable Outcomes
Endomagnetics
Endomagnetics developed magnetic tools used during breast cancer surgery to locate tumors and trace sentinel lymph nodes. acquired Endomagnetics for approximately $310M in 2024.
BK Medical
BK Medical developed ultrasound systems that gave surgeons real-time imaging during neurological, abdominal, and urological procedures. It provides a relevant precedent for technology that helps surgeons make decisions inside the operating room. acquired BK Medical for $1.45B in 2021.
Cianna Medical
Cianna Medical developed a small reflector placed in a breast tumor before surgery and located using a handheld radar probe. acquired Cianna Medical in 2018 for $135M upfront, with up to $65M in further payments.
Have a question about SPCTR?
Ask DealBio. We may research the answer or share selected questions with the company.
Sources
This profile was built from public company materials, ecosystem sources, market references, and professional profiles.