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Moonlight AI

Category: AI in Healthcare

AI-powered diagnostics platform using computer vision to extract genomic biomarkers from routine blood and cytology smear images for cancer diagnostics Moonlight AI was founded in 2022. The company is led by Christian Ruiz, PhD. Based in Courroux, Switzerland. Team size: 2-10. Total funding raised: $3.3M. Latest round: Seed. Key investors include Lotus One Investment (Singapore); VP Venture Partners (Switzerland); MEDIN Fund (Tunisia); N&V Capital (Liechtenstein); QAI Ventures (Switzerland).

Founded
2022
Headquarters
Courroux, Switzerland
Team size
2-10
Total funding
$3.3M

Value proposition

Democratizing access to genomic information by using computer vision to detect genomic aberrations directly from routine blood, bone marrow, and cytology smears — bypassing the high cost and long turnaround times of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)

Products and solutions

AI-based image analysis software for genomic biomarker detection from whole slide images of blood smears, bone marrow aspirates, and cytology samples; integrates with existing lab imaging hardware to complement and triage molecular testing

Unique value

Only platform linking whole slide imaging of cytopathology samples with high-quality genomic data; reduces diagnostic turnaround from 10+ days (NGS) to under one hour; no expensive sequencing hardware required; works with slides labs already produce

Target customer

Diagnostic laboratories (hematology and cytopathology), hospitals, and pathology clinics

Industries served

Healthcare / Medtech / Cancer Diagnostics / Precision Oncology / Hematology / Cytopathology

Technology advantage

Proprietary multimodal dataset pairing whole slide images with genomic results; computer vision + deep learning for genomic biomarker detection from routine morphology; quantum-enhanced AI collaboration with QuantumBasel (10-15% accuracy boost, 5x training complexity reduction); 2 patent applications filed

How they differentiate

Only competitor directly extracting genomic biomarker data from routine smear imaging without any NGS dependency; targets genomic-level insights rather than just morphological classification; proprietary dataset linking cytopathology whole slide images with matched genomic data

Main competitors

Paige AI (US, FDA-approved AI pathology); Cancilico / MyeloAID (Germany, AI bone marrow diagnostics, €2.5M Seed); Spotlight Pathology (UK, AI blood/bone marrow analysis, £1.4M Seed)

Key partnerships

QuantumBasel (quantum-AI co-development); University Hospital Basel (clinical validation); Innovation Office University of Basel; StartX (US accelerator); DayOne Accelerator; QAI Ventures; NVIDIA (CEO paneled at SK AI Summit with NVIDIA); SK Group / SK Life Science

Notable customers

University Hospital Basel (clinical validation partner); King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - conference presentation)

Major milestones

Founded August 2022; DayOne Tech Accelerator winner 2022; Venture Kick grant (CHF 10,000) March 2023; QAI Ventures accelerator cohort July 2023; Top 100 Switzerland Startups public voting award September 2023; QuantumBasel collaboration with 2 patent filings 2025; $3.3M Seed round May 2026; Transition to Swiss Stock Corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) 2026; Dr. Kay Brunner appointed Chair of the Board (2026)

Growth metrics

1,489 LinkedIn followers (as of mid-2026); won public voting award at Top 100 Switzerland Startups 2023 (Medtech track); DayOne Tech Accelerator winner 2022

Market positioning

Early-stage disruptor in the AI-powered cancer diagnostics space, positioned to address the gap between routine microscopy and expensive molecular testing; competing with larger players like Paige AI while targeting specific hematological malignancies (MDS, NSCLC, CLL)

Geographic focus

Switzerland (home base), expanding internationally; clinical consortium includes international partners; presented at conferences in Saudi Arabia, UK, South Korea

Patents and IP

2 patent applications filed (quantum-ready pipeline for circulating rare cell detection via collaboration with QuantumBasel)

About Christian Ruiz, PhD

Professor for Experimental Medicine at University of Basel; former head of diagnostic lab at University Hospital Basel; MBA from University of St. Gallen; Board Member and Lecturer in CAS Personalized Molecular Oncology

Official website: