Invenio Imaging Taps Industry Veterans to Drive Commercialization of AI-Powered Cancer Diagnostics

SANTA CLARA, CA – January 29, 2026 – Invenio Imaging, a company at the forefront of combining artificial intelligence with fresh tissue imaging, has significantly bolstered its leadership team in a strategic move aimed at accelerating the commercial rollout of its innovative cancer detection platform. The Santa Clara-based firm announced the appointment of Adrian Whitford, a seasoned medtech commercialization expert, as an Independent Board Director. He is joined by new board members Biao He of Oak BioCapital and John Seamans of the Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund, signaling a new phase of aggressive market expansion.

The appointments come as Invenio seeks to capitalize on its technological advancements, particularly its NIO® Laser Imaging System and associated AI modules. The strengthened board is poised to guide the company from its research and development roots into a formidable commercial force in the multi-billion-dollar oncology diagnostics market.

A Strategic Infusion of Commercial Expertise

The headline appointment is that of Adrian Whitford, whose career reflects a deep specialization in launching and scaling disruptive medical technologies in oncology. Whitford most recently served as Worldwide President for the Monarch Robotics and Lung Cancer Initiative at Johnson & Johnson MedTech. In that role, he was a key architect behind the commercialization and go-to-market strategy for robotic bronchoscopy, a technology directly relevant to Invenio's focus on lung cancer diagnostics. His current position as President of Biobot Surgical, which concentrates on robotic-assisted prostate cancer care, further aligns with Invenio’s cross-specialty ambitions.

"Adrian has a proven track record of translating clinically meaningful innovation into a clear value narrative that accelerates adoption," said Jay Trautman, PhD, President & CEO and Co-Founder of Invenio Imaging. "His experience in lung cancer commercialization, prostate cancer markets, and digital health will be highly valuable as we expand access to our platform."

Whitford's expertise is not just in hardware but also in the digital health ecosystems that support modern medical devices. His background in scaling programs to improve patient outcomes is critical for a company like Invenio, whose value proposition rests on integrating seamlessly into complex clinical workflows to provide immediate, actionable data.

Revolutionizing the Biopsy with Light and AI

Invenio's core innovation lies in its ability to provide pathologists and surgeons with real-time microscopic images of fresh tissue specimens directly in the operating or procedure room. The company's flagship product, the NIO® Laser Imaging System, utilizes Stimulated Raman Histology (SRH) to generate high-resolution images in under three minutes. This process bypasses the time-consuming and labor-intensive steps of traditional frozen section pathology, which can take 20-30 minutes and involves freezing, slicing, and staining tissue.

Crucially, the NIO system does not alter or destroy the tissue, allowing the same sample to be used for permanent staining and advanced molecular testing later. The platform has already been used in over 12,500 procedures across neurosurgery, bronchoscopy, urology, and endoscopy.

Layered on top of this rapid imaging capability is the company’s powerful artificial intelligence software. Its first AI product, NIO® Glioma Reveal, has already received a CE mark for clinical use in Europe to help identify brain cancer. The company is now turning its attention to lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Its investigational AI module, NIO® Lung Cancer Reveal, was granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This designation is reserved for technologies that have the potential to provide more effective diagnosis for life-threatening diseases and serves to expedite its development and review process.

"I'm excited to join Invenio's board and support the team as they bring timely, actionable information into procedure-driven cancer care," Whitford stated. "Invenio is building a differentiated platform that combines rapid fresh tissue imaging with AI-enabled analysis, and I look forward to helping shape the commercialization and market strategy."

An Investor Vote of Confidence

The board expansion also signifies strong validation from the investment community. The appointment of Biao He is particularly noteworthy as it represents the very first investment made by Oak BioCapital. This high-conviction bet from a new investment firm, led by a distinguished virologist and biotech founder in Dr. He, underscores a deep belief in Invenio's disruptive potential. It suggests that experts in the life sciences see the company's platform not as an incremental improvement but as a foundational technology with the power to create a new market standard.

Meanwhile, the addition of John Seamans reinforces the foundational support the company has received from its academic roots. As Manager of the Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund (MBVF), which supports life science startups emerging from the University of Michigan, Seamans represents the long-term commitment of the institutional ecosystem. His expertise in navigating the path from university research to commercial product, including regulatory and clinical trial management, provides invaluable stability and guidance.

This blend of new, ambitious capital and established, foundational support provides a powerful financial and strategic backbone. It equips Invenio, which has raised $7.5 million to date, for its next chapter of growth, which will likely involve significant investment in sales, marketing, and further clinical validation as it scales its operations.

Targeting a Critical Unmet Need in Oncology

The strategic rationale behind Invenio's commercial push is clear. The global market for AI in lung cancer diagnosis alone is projected to grow from around $300 million to over $700 million in the next decade. The challenge with lung cancer is often late diagnosis, which leads to poorer outcomes. By providing immediate feedback during a bronchoscopic biopsy, Invenio’s technology could help physicians confirm they have a high-quality, diagnostic sample on the first attempt. This could reduce the need for costly and risky repeat procedures and, most importantly, shorten the agonizing wait time for patients between biopsy and the start of treatment.

While other companies like SamanTree Medical and PathAI operate in the intraoperative imaging and AI pathology spaces, Invenio’s integrated system of rapid, non-destructive imaging paired with proprietary AI for real-time analysis offers a distinct advantage. With its newly fortified board of directors, Invenio Imaging is no longer just a promising tech innovator; it is now fully armed to execute its vision of transforming cancer care by bringing definitive answers directly into the procedure room when they are needed most.