Alphabet’s Verily reportedly invests in cancer detection startup Freenome

According to a new report from CNBC, Alphabet’s Life Sciences arm Verily has invested in a cancer detection startup called Freenome. It’s unclear just how much Verily put into the company, but its latest round totaled around $65 million.

Verily clearly has a big interest in Freenome, as it has also given the company office and lab space to encourage collaboration. Freenome’s entire team of 40 people has moved into the lab, which is located on Verily’s campus, according to today’s report.

In a statement, Verily did not directly confirm an investment but did say it is providing office space in an effort to increase collaboration. Freenome did not comment.

“We are providing office space to Freenome in order to foster collaboration between the two companies,” a Verily spokesperson confirmed. The companies did not comment on the investment.

Freenome is using machine learning to look for root biological signals of cancer from DNA fragments in the blood. Here’s how Freenome CEO Gabriel Otte has described the company in past interviews, noting of its focus on the most aggressive forms of cancer:

“To put it generally, we are looking for cancers where finding something at the right time can make a difference between life and death.”

Google has been using its Deep Leaning AI project to work towards better cancer diagnosis, and it’s proved to be incredibly accurate. With the combination of Freenome’s machine learning technology and Verily’s resources, this could certainly be a huge partnership.