Better Medicine and the EIC Accelerator: AI for Kidney Cancer

Better Medicine, registered in Tartu, Estonia, in 2020 and founded by Priit Salumaa, develops AI software that helps radiologists detect, measure and track cancerous lesions on CT scans. It was selected in the EIC Accelerator's March 2023 cut-off and received an EU grant of €2.50 million for BMAI, "Empowering Radiologists in Cancer Diagnostics with Artificial Intelligence", a €3.57 million project that ran from January 2024 to June 2026, according to CORDIS. The goal was "a comprehensive, full-body cancer detection and monitoring system" rather than single-organ tools.

The project has ended, and CORDIS holds only its first periodic report, for 2024, which said the first tool, for kidney cancer, was "nearing market readiness", according to the CORDIS reporting page. BMVision Kidney then became what the company calls the first AI kidney cancer detection model CE-certified under the EU's Medical Device Regulation, in early 2025, according to Vestbee. The company's filings show sales revenue of €11,284 in 2024 and none in 2025, and a 2025 net loss of €242,861, according to the Estonian Business Register.

Where Better Medicine Stands Now

In August 2025 Better Medicine raised €1 million in a pre-seed round led by the Prague fund Soulmates Ventures, with UT Ventures and angel investors, to expand in Europe, prepare for FDA clearance and start US pilots, Vestbee reported. That brought total funding to nearly €6 million, €3.7 million of it from grants. The company employs 11 to 12 people, according to register data summarised by Inforegister.

The Technology: Labels Without Labelling

Training imaging AI usually requires doctors to outline tumours pixel by pixel. Better Medicine says it generates those detailed labels automatically from high-level information such as diagnosis codes, making it faster and cheaper to build models for more cancers. It also built a module that compares scans over time to track how a tumour changes. The company reports 96% standalone accuracy for its kidney model and a 99.2% detection rate when combined with a radiologist.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The award promised a full-body cancer detection and monitoring system. One organ-specific tool, for the kidney, was certified during the project. Whether the full-body system was completed is not public, since the final report has not appeared, and the certified tool has not yet produced sales in the company's own accounts.

1. Automated labelling methodDeliveredPer first report.
2. Kidney cancer toolDeliveredCE-marked, 2025.
3. Full-body systemUnverifiedNo final report.
4. SalesNone in 2025€0 revenue.

The Money

The company was loss-making in 2024 and 2025, and reported a profit of €415,882 in 2023, a year with no sales revenue. Grants have provided most of its funding. Where sales revenue is expected to come from, and when, is not public.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The first-year report cites rising cancer cases and a shortage of radiologists. AI that takes over repetitive measuring could help. Better Medicine has a certified product and an EU grant for the project, but has not yet shown hospitals will pay for it.

The Verdict

Better Medicine and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.