SEGNOS, a Japanese company that makes magnetic nanoparticles for blood testing, has raised a pre-Series A round of undisclosed size. It announced the funding late on 22 October 2026.
The money came through a third-party share allotment to the TUAT No.1 Investment Limited Partnership, a fund run by BP Capital, which was the only investor named, according to the company's release. SEGNOS did not disclose the amount or a valuation.
Alongside the round, Masashi Tsuda joined the company as a director and chief operating officer.
What SEGNOS does
SEGNOS develops, makes and sells Therma-Max, a temperature-responsive magnetic nanoparticle. The company told The Bridge that the particles make the separation and washing steps at the heart of a test faster and more precise, which it says raises the sensitivity and repeatability of the whole test.
SEGNOS combines the particles with a DNA aptamer developed at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in a detection method it calls AptIa. It says the method has shown costs of one-half to one-tenth, times of one-half to one-third and sensitivity of one to ten times compared with ELISA, a widely used laboratory test, and that it could pick up trace signs of disease from a small amount of blood. These figures come from the company and were not independently verified in the reports.
The Bridge reported that the company says Therma-Max can detect targets at concentrations of femtograms per millilitre or lower, compared with picograms per millilitre for earlier products.
A spin-out from JNC
SEGNOS was set up in February 2024 as a carve-out from JNC, the chemicals company formerly known as Chisso. Its founder and president, Tokuyuki Onishi, developed the particles while at JNC. He joined Chisso in 1987 and completed doctoral research on heat-responsive magnetic nanoparticles at Kobe University in 2009, according to the release.
JNC supplied the core technology and remains a shareholder after this round. The two companies said they will continue working together on technology and capital. SEGNOS is based at a Chiba University innovation centre in Chiba City.
Tsuda, the new COO, previously worked on sales expansion and partnerships at a healthcare start-up that offers risk-marker tests for stroke and heart attack, and then supported research-based start-ups at a venture capital firm. He will oversee management, strategy and operations.
What the money is for
SEGNOS said the funds will speed up research and development of its technology for healthcare testing and in vitro diagnostic products, and support the growth of the business after the raise.
Satoshi Hamada, an executive officer at BP Capital, said in the release that he was struck by the technology and by the years of research Onishi had put into it, and that he wanted to help bring it into wide use. He added that he expected Tsuda's arrival to move the business forward.
Neither the release nor The Bridge reported any earlier outside funding round for SEGNOS.
Company website: segnos.co.jp