JUSTIN CHEN LI
FOUNDER/PRESIDENT
HELIO GENOMICS
WHY: Founded cancer diagnostics firm that’s one of the better-funded medtech companies in OC. Raised more than $180M as of last June, which includes Asia operations from Helio’s sister company Laboratory for Advanced Medicine & Health Group (LAMH). Company is one of the earliest pioneers to use technology that analyzes gene regulators for cancer detection. Flagship product, HelioLiver, uses AI to detect and predict liver cancer in people who are at high-risk due to liver cirrhosis.
IN THE NEWS: Last summer, Helio Genomics presented five-year data from its pivotal Clinical Trial Multi-analyte Blood Test (Climb) study. Results showed that HelioLiver outperformed ultrasounds in detecting early-stage liver cancer out of 2K patients. Has submitted to the Food and Drug Administration and expects to get approval by the second quarter of this year. Stepped down as CEO this year and was succeeded by Dr. Bharat Tewarie, who has plans to scale the company.
NOTABLE: Grew up wanting to be an inventor, citing Thomas Edison as his childhood role model. Pivoted from going to medical school to establishing Helio, fulfilling his dream of changing the healthcare landscape. Became motivated to develop early-stage cancer tests after grandfather passed from lung cancer. Li won the Business Journal’s Innovator of the Year Award in 2022 for launching HelioLiver via a commercial partnership with $530M-valued Fulgent Genetics Inc. (Nasdaq: FLGT). Company is looking to expand its product line, beginning with minimal residual disease and treatment monitoring for liver cancer.
QUOTABLE: “The company’s at an inflection point, and now it needs its next CEO.”
