University spin-out raises funds for AI-driven dental diagnostics tool

According to BeCertain, its software uses proprietary “uncertainty-aware” AI to identify caries, bone loss, infection and possible defects in existing restorations on 2D intra-oral radiographs. Rather than only flagging a suspected finding, the software is intended to indicate how reliable each result is. It provides calibrated confidence scores to help dentists assess the certainty of each finding, and data privacy is built into its architecture.

Like dental radiographic AI systems already available, BeCertain is intended to support clinical workflows by improving diagnostic reliability and practice efficiency and is designed to integrate with existing dental imaging systems. Existing systems already identify many of the same findings, and some also display confidence or probability values. BeCertain’s proposed contribution lies in making calibrated uncertainty a central part of its clinical output.

Prof. Lisa Collins, pro-vice-chancellor for research and innovation at the University of Surrey, said that BeCertain’s “journey from research at the University of Surrey to commercial development at King’s College London demonstrates the value of collaboration across institutions”. She also highlighted the role of the universities’ respective innovation teams in supporting the research’s progression towards clinical and commercial use.

The project previously received a £1.75 million product development award from the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The new investment round was led by Sure Valley Ventures and supported by Innovate UK’s Growth Catalyst programme under its Investor Partnerships model.