Perci Health, the world’s first online platform that gives people access to multidisciplinary, supportive care throughout their cancer journey, has raised £3.4m in a seed round led by Octopus Ventures. This will allow the company to further invest into its technology roadmap, continue to expand the team and grow access for cancer patients through new partnerships with large employers and insurers. 

In the last few decades there have been radical improvements in cancer survival driven by innovation in screening, diagnostics, and novel cancer therapies. However, innovation in the aftercare of cancer patients has lagged behind. Because only 30 years ago cancer was a death sentence, how to look after the survivors of cancer is a relatively new medical field.

Perci’s mission is to challenge the status quo for those living with cancer and change perceptions about life after treatment. It offers those living with and beyond cancer, and their caregivers, access to a range of vetted, high quality cancer professionals through a specialised digital platform delivering personalised programmes. The programmes include support across the whole cancer continuum, from preparing for treatment to support during treatment, recovery and rehabilitation and return to work.

The company was co-founded by Kelly McCabe and Morgan Fitzsimons in 2020, with initial funding raised through the UKs leading oncologists and cancer surgeons. McCabe – a registered oncology dietitian – was previously COO of cancer services for HCA International and has more than 12 years’ experience in cancer care. Fitzsimons is the former global head of marketing at ASOS and digital director at CBS Television in New York. Chantal Cox led the round for Octopus Ventures and will join the all-female board.

The growing population of people living with and beyond cancer, who have unique and, unfortunately, unmet healthcare needs pose important challenges for our healthcare systems. Perci Health is tackling this issue by making high quality cancer care more accessible and helping people make the best decisions about their long-term health and wellbeing. Not to replace core treatment, but instead to enhance traditional cancer care by providing personalised clinical support to manage long-term effects. 

For many years the long-term support provided to people with cancer has required further funding, and innovation. Charities such as Macmillan who have been spearheading this movement, have highlighted the gap in service provision for decades, with cancer patients describing a sense of ‘abandonment’ once their treatment ends. 

Kelly McCabe, Co-Founder, said: “People who survive their cancers feel lost in transition. They can’t get the care they need, find the healthcare system confusing and uncoordinated, and continue to suffer with the late and long-term effects of curative cancer treatments. At Perci, with our growing team of specialists, we’re on a mission to change that.

“Perci Health found initial success by unlocking innovative reimbursement models for this much needed care through employers and insurers and is exploring how best to support NHS treatment facilities. 

“In the UK, 1,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every day and of those, 36% are of working age. However, there is little-to-no support focused on helping to remain in or return to work post cancer-treatment, even for those with comprehensive medical insurance. Employers are looking for novel solutions to better support their employees impacted by cancer”. 

Chantal Cox, Investor, Health, Octopus Ventures said: “We want to back people and ideas that will change the world for the better. With Kelly and Morgan’s extensive global experience and network in cancer care and brand marketing respectively, we recognise that they have the potential to have a major impact in holistic cancer care for both survivors and their loved ones.

“We were impressed with their dedication and approach to human-centric care which goes the extra mile from diagnosis and beyond. I look forward to continuing to work with Morgan, Kelly, and the wider team as I join the board and Perci Health becomes part of the Octopus Ventures family”.

McCabe added: “Over the past year, we’ve been able to support many people affected by cancer to access high quality, one-to-one clinical care, delivered by an incredible community of cancer specialists who are typically hard to access outside of the UK’s large cancer centres.  Investment from Octopus Ventures is validation of the size and importance of the problem we are trying to solve and our approach blending the very best of technology and human-experts to create a scalable, sustainable healthcare model.”