Handling, preparing and analysing tissue samples accounts for 41% of diagnostic delays on molecular test results for cancer patients, creating waits between 3 and 30 days and costing the NHS hundreds or even thousands of pounds per patient. Limited tissue availability prevents comprehensive testing, while workforce shortages exacerbate backlogs.
Panakeia’s AI platform transforms cancer diagnostics by extracting molecular biomarker information directly, identifying 4,500+ biomarkers across 30+ cancers from common stained tissue images in minutes, not weeks, enabling same-day treatment decisions. Their software-based approach eliminates extra lab tests, reduces costs by over 50%, and preserves precious tissue samples. Panakeia currently have two products with regulatory approvals in the UK (Breast & Colorectal Cancers).
Dr Pahini Pandya is the CEO and Founder of Panakeia, leading overall company strategy, vision and operations. Her responsibilities span fundraising, strategic partnerships, team building, and product commercialisation. She recognises her need to evolve from leading academic teams to guiding experienced peers and leaders as they scale internationally.
Pahini plans to leverage the Shott Scale Up Accelerator coaching to develop frameworks for leading experienced peers and other leaders as they expand across UK, the US and India. She notes “the Securing Growth Capital module will strengthen my financial narratives for our Series A fundraising.” She also plans to use the £10k grant to fund either Stanford’s Executive Leadership Development or London Business School’s “Leading Businesses into the Future” programme.
As Panakeia transitions from early validation to international scaleup, she recognises that she faces a critical leadership inflection point. Having successfully raised £6M+ and validated products in two NHS hospitals, they are now expanding across UK (scaling to 8+ NHS trusts), US and India with increasingly diverse teams of experienced experts. Her visionary leadership style that built interdisciplinary academic teams must now evolve to guide peers who are leaders in their own right. The Shott Scale Up Accelerator provides timely support as Pahini transition from operational to strategic leadership.
