| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Medical technology |
| Founded | 28 October 2015 |
| Founders | Prof. Sir Michael Brady, Dr. Václav Potěšil, Dr. Timor Kadir, Dr. Jérôme Declerck, Dr. Lyndsey Pickup |
| Headquarters | Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom |
Key people | Dr. Johnathan Watkins (CEO), Prof. Sir Michael Brady (Founding Chair) |
| Products | Virtual Nodule Clinic |
| Website | optellum |
Optellum is a British medical technology company that develops artificial intelligence (AI)-based clinical decision-support software for early lung cancer diagnosis and the early detection, management, and follow-up of incidental pulmonary nodules. [1] [2]
Optellum was incorporated in October 2015 in the United Kingdom. [3] It originated from research at the University of Oxford's Computer Vision Laboratory, with the goal of applying machine learning to lung-nodule assessment and diagnosis. It was founded by four Oxford scientists and emeritus professor of oncological imaging at the University of Oxford, Sir Michael Brady [4]
In 2022, Optellum raised US$14 million in Series A funding to expand operations in the UK and the United States and to accelerate deployment of their AI platform for lung cancer diagnosis. [1]
Optellum's core platform, the Virtual Nodule Clinic, assists radiologists and pulmonologists in identifying and evaluating lung nodules. [2] The software uses radiomics and machine learning algorithms to compute a Lung Cancer Prediction (LCP) score that estimates malignancy risk. [5] [6] The system also supports screening and management of incidental nodules, detecting high-risk nodules in CT scans performed for other clinical reasons such as emergency or cardiac evaluations, and enabling longitudinal tracking and follow-up of these patients. [2]
The Virtual Nodule Clinic has received regulatory clearances in several jurisdictions, including U.S. FDA 510(k), CE Mark, and UKCA approval. [1] It is associated with CPT® code 0721T for AI-based lung nodule risk assessment and management. In 2022, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved a national payment rate for the LCP score, enabling Medicare reimbursement. [2] The platform has been deployed in healthcare systems such as AtlantiCare in New Jersey, which reported identifying multiple high-risk nodules through its use. [7]
In 2025, Optellum announced a collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb to implement its AI system across several U.S. healthcare networks to improve early lung cancer diagnosis. [8] It has also partnered with GE HealthCare to expand AI integration into imaging and lung health solutions. [9]