TidalSense raises $19M to make COPD diagnosis faster and accessible across Europe

COPD is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in modern healthcare. It affects nearly two million people in the UK alone, yet the test used to identify it - spirometry - requires specialist equipment and training, which most primary care settings lack. As a result, many patients go undiagnosed for years.

TidalSense, a Cambridge-based company led by Dr Ameera Patel, adapted a critical care diagnostic approach - CO₂ waveform analysis, or capnography - and developed it into a point-of-care tool suitable for any clinical setting. Patients breathe into a compact, handheld device for 75 seconds. The unit captures the resulting waveform and transmits it to AI models built using a dataset comprising more than 2.5 million patient breaths. These models then provide a COPD assessment. No specialist training is required to operate the device. In terms of throughput, the difference is significant: while spirometry enables a clinician to assess approximately one patient per hour, TidalSense allows four to six assessments per hour.

TidalSense has just closed a $19 million growth funding round, led by Cross-Border Impact Ventures and with participation from returning investors BGF, Airstream Capital and Foresight Group. This brings the total funding to $40 million, including $11 million in grant funding. The capital will support expansion into the European market and entry into the US.

Sources: TidalSense | Crunchbase

Founders: Ameera Patel