N Lab

What N Lab does

N Lab Inc. (株式会社 N Lab) is a Nagasaki University spin-off founded in February 2017 by pathologist-surgeon Yuka Kitamura, headquartered in Nagasaki, Japan. The company builds and distributes digital pathology infrastructure and AI diagnostic tools for Japanese hospitals, research institutions, and clinical trial sponsors. Its core technology stack combines proprietary explainable AI for whole slide image analysis (MIXTURE AI, co-developed with Nagasaki University and AIST, with claimed over 90% accuracy for Usual Interstitial Pneumonia diagnosis), a structured digital diagnostic reporting platform (MIXTURE Report, including the MIXTURE-ILD structured ILD module and MIXTURE-Case Share for inter-institutional consultation), and a patented immunohistochemistry positive control tissue array (QC Array, based on Pile-Up Array Patent No. 6908258). N Lab also acts as the exclusive Japanese distributor for MOTIC slide scanners (EasyScan One, Pro6, Infinity 60/100) and the PathPresenter cloud pathology platform, providing a vertically integrated path from slide scanning through cloud viewing, AI-assisted diagnosis, and structured reporting.

The business model is multi-stream: hardware resale of scanners and QC Array paraffin blocks, subscription-based cloud deployment of MIXTURE Report and PathPresenter, licensing of MIXTURE AI diagnostic models, and fee-for-service research pathology (immunostaining subcontracting). Go-to-market is consultative enterprise sales supplemented by active participation in Japanese Society of Pathology, Digital Pathology/AI Research Society, and cancer society conferences, plus digital pathology/AI seminars and startup pitch events. In August 2023, N Lab closed its clinical laboratory and refocused on digital pathology and AI development; it subsequently achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2022 ISMS certification (July 2024), launched MIXTURE-Case Share (August 2025), and completed a brand refresh positioning the company around digital pathology and AI (May 2025). The company remains privately held with a small team, no disclosed headcount, and Series A fundraising publicly signaled but not yet closed at the time of available data.

Name

N Lab

Legal name

株式会社 N Lab

Website

https://n-lab.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

N Lab is a Nagasaki University spin-off that provides digital pathology systems, explainable AI diagnostic tools (MIXTURE AI), and immunohistochemistry quality control products to hospitals, research institutions, and clinical trial sponsors in Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Pathology & AI Diagnostics

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Imaging AI (HDAAAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI Orchestration & Imaging Analytics Platforms (Model Management/Triage) (HLACALAG), Digital & AI-Enabled Diagnostics (algorithmic interpretation, decision support tied to assays) (HLAAALAO), Laboratory Informatics for Diagnostics (LIS/Middleware/Analyzer Connectivity) (HLAHAAAO)

Keywords

• Digital pathology software
• Pathology AI diagnostics
• Whole slide imaging
• Immunohistochemistry quality control
• Tissue microarray products

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagasaki

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Digital Pathology Diagnostic Systems (MIXTURE-report): Sale and licensing of digital diagnostic reporting systems including software, viewers, and cloud services for pathology diagnosis. Includes deployment (cloud-based or on-premises) and ongoing support.
2. Pathology AI (MIXTURE AI): Licensing of explainable AI diagnostic models for various diseases including interstitial pneumonia, lung cancer, gastric cancer, prostate cancer, brain tumors, and salivary gland tumors. Patented X-AI technology.
3. QC Array Products: Sale of quality control tissue arrays as paraffin blocks. Each block yields approximately 500-900 sections. Covers approximately 100 antibody reagents.
4. Slide Scanner Distribution: Domestic exclusive distribution of MOTIC slide scanners (EasyScan One, EasyScan Pro6, Infinity 60/100) for whole slide imaging. Scanners sold as medical devices and non-medical purposes.
5. Research Pathology Services: Immunohistochemistry staining services for research purposes, including consultation on staining conditions and result analysis. Outsource staining to external labs while managing quality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

N Lab develops and provides AI-powered digital pathology diagnostic systems, anchored by the MIXTURE explainable AI (X-AI) software for whole slide image analysis and the MIXTURE Report digital diagnostic reporting platform with structured ILD workflows and case-sharing capabilities. The company also manufactures and sells QC Array positive-control tissue arrays for immunohistochemistry quality control and serves as the exclusive Japanese distributor for MOTIC slide scanners and the PathPresenter cloud pathology platform. Its technology was co-developed with Nagasaki University and AIST to address Japan-wide pathologist shortages, enable remote diagnosis, and standardize pathology reporting for hospitals, universities, and corporate researchers.

Product overview

N Lab offers a unified digital pathology ecosystem comprising three core product lines: MIXTURE AI (explainable AI diagnostic system), MIXTURE Report (digital reporting platform with MIXTURE-ILD and MIXTURE-Case Share modules), and QC Array (quality control tissue arrays). The portfolio is complemented by MOTIC slide scanner distribution (Easyscan One/Pro6, Infinity 60/100) and integration with PathPresenter cloud viewer. The architecture combines AI-powered image analysis (MIXTURE AI) with digital workflow management (MIXTURE Report) and quality assurance (QC Array) to support pathologists in diagnosis, remote consultation, and inter-institutional collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MIXTURE AI A next-generation explainable AI (X-AI) pathology diagnostic system for clinical and research use, developed with Nagasaki University and AIST. Provides over 90% accuracy in diagnosing interstitial pneumonia and is being expanded to lung cancer, gastric cancer, prostate cancer, brain tumors, and salivary gland tumors. Offers transparent diagnostic rationale with visual evidence rather than black-box outputs, designed for hospital pathology departments and academic medical centers.
• MIXTURE Report Digital diagnostic reporting system that enables pathologists to view digitized whole slide images, access clinical information, and generate diagnostic reports on a single webpage. Supports remote diagnosis, inter-hospital consultation workflows, and integration with QC Array workflows; targeted at hospital pathology departments and clinical research teams.
• MIXTURE-ILD Report Specialized structured workflow module within MIXTURE Report for diagnosing interstitial lung disease, enabling semi-quantitative evaluation and documentation of pathological findings for interstitial pneumonia patients on built-in whole slide image viewing.
• MIXTURE-Case Share Cloud-based case sharing service that allows users to create cases and send whole slide images via email to other pathologists for inter-institutional consultation. Created cases automatically delete after two weeks for security and compliance.
• QC Array Positive control tissue array product for immunohistochemistry (IHC) quality control, covering approximately 100 antibody reagents commonly used in clinical practice. Provided as 5x5mm paraffin blocks each yielding 500-900 sections, developed using Nagasaki University's patented Pile-Up Array technology (Patent No. 6908258). Sold directly to pathology laboratories and hospitals for IHC quality assurance.
• MOTIC Easyscan One Single-slide tray digital pathology scanner distributed by N Lab as MOTIC's domestic general agent, targeted at small-scale scanning operations and research use. Not approved as medical device in Japan.
• MOTIC Easyscan Pro6 Six-slide tray digital pathology scanner for medium-scale scanning distributed by N Lab as MOTIC's domestic general agent, featuring Z-stack and EDF scan modes suitable for cytology screening and clinical workflows.
• MOTIC Infinity 60/100 High-capacity multi-tray (60 or 100 slides) digital pathology scanner distributed by N Lab as MOTIC's domestic general agent, with automatic scanning capability without manual range specification and designed for high-throughput hospital pathology departments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% accuracy in diagnosing Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Callisto (カリスト株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2023Partnership with Tokyo University-origin startup Callisto to accelerate medical AI in Japan. Both companies share vision for improving healthcare quality and reducing medical costs through digital pathology and pathology AI. Active collaboration in various forms to drive innovation in medical imaging AI.
• Nagasaki University (長崎大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Core academic partnership for technology development. Company originated from Nagasaki University. MIXTURE X-AI technology developed in collaboration with Nagasaki University Department of Pathology Informatics. Ongoing research collaboration and talent access.
• National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST/産総研)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Collaboration with AIST for X-AI development. Usage agreement signed for MIXTURE explainable AI technology development for pathology diagnostics.
• PathPresentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 June 2021Exclusive domestic distribution partnership for PathPresenter medical imaging cloud platform. Platform supports whole slide images, DICOM radiology images, and clinical data with QR code sharing. 10GB free storage available.
• MOTIC (モティック)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018Domestic exclusive distribution partner for MOTIC slide scanners including EasyScan One, EasyScan Pro6, and Infinity series. Joint exhibition at medical conferences. MOTIC EasyScan products received Health Canada Class 2 approval in 2021.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Owkin: AI-for-research and pathology company focused on biomarker discovery and clinical trial pathology services. Comparable to N Lab's clinical trial (PROMISE) and pharma services ambition.
• Aignostics: Berlin-based explainable pathology AI spin-out from Charité/Boehringer Ingelheim. Direct overlap with N Lab's X-AI differentiation and pharma/biopharma service positioning.

Direct peers

• Ibex Medical Analytics: Israel-based pathology AI company with multi-tumor Galen platform deployed in European and APAC hospital networks. Direct peer to MIXTURE AI in cancer detection AI across histology workflows.
• AI Medical Service: Japan-based endoscopic AI company developing cancer detection AI for GI endoscopy with PMDA approvals. Closest Japanese-listed (IPO 2024) AI medical-imaging peer facing similar Japanese regulatory and reimbursement dynamics.
• PathAI: Boston-based AI pathology platform with FDA-cleared products and partnerships with major pharma and diagnostic labs. Directly comparable as a pathology AI vendor competing for the same hospital and pharma services contracts N Lab targets in Japan.
• Paige: US-based digital pathology AI company with FDA-authorized prostate cancer detection and Paige Prostate product. Overlaps with N Lab on AI-driven cancer pathology decision support and represents a global entrant threat in cancer diagnosis AI.
• Lunit: South Korea-based medical imaging AI company with pathology AI (Lunit SCOPE) plus radiology products, and active Japan/Korea commercialization. Comparable as a neighboring APAC pathology AI competitor with deeper capital.
• Proscia: Digital pathology platform combining Concentriq workflow software with AI applications and partnerships with Siemens Healthineers. Closely comparable to N Lab's integrated MIXTURE-report plus scanner distribution approach.

Broad incumbents

• Hamamatsu Photonics (NanoZoomer): Japan-based manufacturer of NanoZoomer whole slide scanners and pathology imaging instruments. Comparable to MOTIC as a domestic and global scanner vendor that could compete with or replace N Lab's distribution partnership.
• Hologic (Genius Digital Diagnostics): US-based diagnostics incumbent with Genius Digital Diagnostics System combining cytology imaging and AI for cervical cancer screening. Comparable as an established IVD/AI vendor competing for hospital pathology budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/people/N-Lab/100057628893686

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about N Lab