This Cambridge AI Startup Just Raised $19 Million to Revolutionize COPD Diagnosis

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-24

Respiratory disease has been neglected for too long. But a Cambridge-based startup called TidalSense might just change that. They just announced a $19 million funding round to bring their AI-powered diagnostic tool to the UK and eventually the US. Let's break down what this means for the future of breathing tests. ### The Problem with Current COPD Diagnosis Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the UK's third biggest killer, taking about 30,000 lives every year. It costs the NHS about $2.5 billion annually. And here's the kicker: over half of NHS regions can't even meet the demand for the current gold-standard test, spirometry. Spirometry is a nightmare. You have to exhale as hard as you can into a tube. It requires a specialist to administer. And factoring in wait times and recovery, it can take nearly an hour per patient. No wonder 600,000 people in the UK are stuck on a waiting list for a formal COPD diagnosis. ### TidalSense's Simple Solution TidalSense (formerly Cambridge Respiratory Innovations) built something different. Their device, N-Tidal Diagnose, is a handheld gadget that patients just breathe into normally for 75 seconds. That's it. No forceful exhalation, no specialist needed. The device captures a CO2 waveform, or capnogram, which is traditionally used in critical care. Then, AI models trained on over 2.5 million patient breaths analyze the data to detect COPD. Any healthcare professional can learn to use it in 10 minutes. That's a game-changer. ### The Funding Details The $19 million round includes investments from new investor Cross-Border Impact Ventures and returning backers like BGF and Foresight Group. This brings TidalSense's total funding to $40 million, including $11 million in grants from organizations like Innovate UK and the NIH. ### What the CEO Says Dr. Ameera Patel, TidalSense's CEO, put it bluntly: "Respiratory disease has been neglected by governments and health systems for years, often overshadowed by cancer and cardiovascular disease, even though it affects one in five people." She's right. COPD is often seen as a smoker's disease, but a quarter of cases come from air pollution and biomass fuel. It's a global health priority now, according to the WHO. ### Clinical Validation In 2025, N-Tidal Diagnose became the first non-spirometry AI diagnostic device to receive a CE mark under EU MDR for COPD. It was launched into the NHS in September 2025. The results speak for themselves. In post-market validation, the device achieved over 90% accuracy across all key metrics. ### Why This Matters for the US Market TidalSense is already expanding into the US. And it's easy to see why. Spirometry is just as broken here. Rural and underserved communities often lack access to specialists. A 75-second test that any nurse can administer could save lives. ### The Bottom Line TidalSense isn't just another AI startup. They've got clinical evidence, regulatory approval, and a real-world solution to a massive problem. As Donna Parr from Cross-Border Impact Ventures said, "We look for technology that doesn't just have a compelling story, but a body of clinical evidence behind it." TidalSense has both. *Key takeaways:* - TidalSense raised $19 million to scale its AI-powered COPD diagnostic - Current spirometry tests are slow, expensive, and inaccessible - N-Tidal Diagnose is a 75-second handheld test with over 90% accuracy - The device is already in use across the NHS and expanding to the US