Octopath AI

AI-powered pathology tools that count, classify, and score tumour cells.

Two people wearing lab coats sit in front of a computer using the Octopath Ai model.

Octopath AI develops AI-powered digital pathology tools to support pathologists in their diagnostic decisions during slide analysis.

The advanced detection models, Kraken and Nemo, automate routine pathology tasks, including cell counting and tissue segmentation, analysing pathology images and returning detailed cell maps in under two minutes. Kraken has been trained on 14.1 million annotated cells across 14 cancer types, while Nemo provides cell classification alongside positivity and intensity scoring at a single-cell level.

 The founders - Dr Esther Baer, Dr Zhuoyan Shen and Dr Charles-Antoine Collins Fekete - drew inspiration for Octopath AI from UCL’s conducive environment for translational research and entrepreneurship, establishing the spinout with support from UCL Ventures. Our experts helped protect and commercialise the underlying IP, negotiate an exclusive licence, develop the company's business plan and connect the team with investors, commercial and clinical opportunities. 

 

The Octopath AI journey so far:

2024:

  • Project conception began at UCL, laying the groundwork for the spinout
  • Participated in UCL Centre for Digital Innovation Programme, supported by AWS

2025:

  • Secured £250K GAP funding to support expansion of Octopath across additional clinical sites
  • Participated in UKRI ICURe Explore Programme

2026:

  • Selected for the MHRA AI Airlock programme to support development of its regulatory pathway
  • Kraken model released
  • Secured a £500K Innovate UK Growth Catalyst grant, linked to its seed financing
  • Secured a £1m seed investment from Twin Path Ventures

 

Billy Lam

Business Manager

Billy Lam is apart of the Physical Sciences and Engineering team, where he focuses on the commercialisation of medtech, healthcare engineering, medical imaging and AI-enabled healthcare innovations arising from UCL research.

He supports academics in identifying protectable inventions, developing IP strategies, assessing market opportunities and shaping translational plans for early-stage healthcare technologies. Billy brings experience across academic, commercial and government sectors, with a strong background in innovation management and intellectual property commercialisation.

Before joining UCL Ventures, he worked as an IP consultant to startups, supporting invention capture, IP portfolio management and commercialisation strategy from early-stage R&D through to investor and partner engagement.