A technology that combines different imaging tests to support clinical decisions in breast cancer screening has earned BreastScreening-AI, a spin-off founded at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, €500,000 in funding under the European Innovation Council’s (EIC) Pre-Accelerator programme.
Selected from over a thousand European applications, the project is part of a select group of around 70 deep-tech startups. “It is an important validation of the work we have been doing at the European level”, says Francisco Calisto, co‑founder of BreastScreening-AI and a researcher at the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa). “This recognition places us among projects with a high potential for impact”, he adds.
The technology developed is recognised by the multimodal integration of different imaging examinations – mammography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging – combined with close integration into radiologists’ workflows. According to the researcher, “the aim is not to replace clinical judgement, but to support clinically relevant decisions through second-opinion tools and AI-based triage”.
According to Francisco Calisto, the solution stems from research carried out in a “multidisciplinary context, combining artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction and medical imaging”. The researcher also highlights the important role of the School, stating that its ecosystem “was crucial for the development, testing and validation of the technology”, allowing “research to be more closely aligned with real-world clinical applications”.
The funding now secured will help accelerate the transition from research to real-world application. Among the key challenges are large-scale clinical validation, regulatory compliance, and hospital system integration. “Ensuring trust, interpretability and adoption in a clinical setting will be essential in this next phase”, says Francisco Calisto, who is also a Técnico alumnus (Computer Science and Engineering).
The EIC Pre-Accelerator is the result of a joint initiative between the European Innovation Council and the WIDERA programme, which supports early-stage deep-tech startups by promoting their technological, business and investment maturity. For BreastScreening-AI, this support will enable the company to “bring the technology closer to clinical practice and prepare for its large-scale adoption”, strengthening international collaborations and its “presence in the European health innovation ecosystem”.
