Olaris - Series B-1
Imagine trying to read the body’s signals, real-time, microscopic Morse code, before a patient’s immune system goes DEFCON 1. Now imagine having the tech that doesn’t just decode it, but translates it into clinical decisions that actually save lives. That’s not a pitch deck. That’s Olaris, and they just leveled up with a Series B-1 raise backed by none other than Labcorp, with new blood from US Boston Growth Capital joining long-time believers like Innospark Ventures, Alumni Ventures, North Point Partners, and co-founder Bob Carpenter.
This isn’t a startup throwing darts at omics buzzwords. Olaris, led by Dr. Elizabeth O’Day, PhD from Harvard, biotech whisperer, and one of the sharpest minds in diagnostics, has been grinding since 2014 on one audacious premise: we can predict treatment response before the patient even starts. The playbook? Metabolomics meets machine learning, powered by a clinical-grade platform that doesn’t guess; it knows. Think nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and enough AI horsepower to make Watson sweat.
The flagship test, myOLARIS™-KTdx, just snagged a PLA code from the American Medical Association. Translation: they’ve got the regulatory green light for a non-invasive urine test that keeps tabs on immune response in kidney transplant recipients. That’s a major unlock for transplant care and a signal to the healthcare industry that Olaris isn’t theorizing, they’re delivering.
While most companies chase the cancer dragon with vague biomarkers and PR spin, Olaris is stacking actual patents, five to be exact, including one for pinpointing drug susceptibility using metabolite signatures. They’re not just mapping biochemistry; they’re building the Cerebro of precision diagnostics, yes, like that Cerebro, but with less mind reading and more machine learning.
Behind the scenes, you’ve got Bob Carpenter, biotech OG and chairman, with co-founding stripes at Moderna and GelTex. Dr. Stuart Chaffee, the deal closer behind Affinivax’s $4.9B exit, steps in as Executive Chairman. Add Russell Herndon (ex-MediSix CEO) and Tom Burke as CFO/COO, and you’ve got a leadership lineup that reads like an IPO prospectus written in bold.
This round fuels commercialization for KTdx and expansion into oncology and neurodegenerative diagnostics because why stop at kidneys when your tech can read disease like a tell-all memoir? They’re also doubling down on biopharma partnerships and building out the R&D and commercial arms. If you know someone who wants to work where science actually means something, send them to careers@myolaris.com.
Olaris isn’t pivoting. They’re planting a flag. Precision medicine is no longer about guessing better; it’s about knowing sooner. And with this round, Olaris just moved from prediction to power play.