Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer worldwide, but when caught early enough, has a 98% survival rate. Unfortunately, in many countries and rural areas, there are significant challenges with access, awareness, high costs and poor-quality diagnostics—all leading to undiagnosed patients or late-stage detection, where the survival rate can drop to as low as 40%. Even after diagnosis, fragmented and confusing healthcare systems block many patients from getting the treatments and care they need to survive. This is why access to early, high-quality exams and continuity of treatment support are crucial to saving patients’ lives.
Founded in 2012 by Guillermo Pepe, Mamotest is an AI-based platform that is democratizing access to early diagnosis of breast cancer and guiding patients for treatment care. It is the first telemammography company in Latin America focused on breaking down barriers to access using telediagnosis, structured clinical data and 100% traceability of the patient journey through a digital platform and network connecting patients with clinical providers and other stakeholders.
Patient empowerment is a top priority for the company, and part of Mamotest’s interdisciplinary team includes unique “Health Navigators” to equip patients with medical information, psychological and emotional assistance, and support throughout the care journey. The company was started in Argentina and has now grown to include sites in Mexico, with plans to expand into additional countries in the next few years.
“The difference between early and late detection is a matter of life or death when it comes to breast cancer. Too many women die because of delayed diagnosis. That’s why our work goes beyond awareness to deliver high-quality patient care and attention. At Mamotest, which is human-centric, data-driven and tech-enabled, we are committed to finding it early and deeply supporting patients to fight this battle against breast cancer.” - Guillermo Pepe, Founder and CEO of Mamotest
Mamotest is actively working to democratize access to healthcare so that many more patients can benefit from early, high-quality breast cancer detection—especially historically underserved populations from lower-income and rural communities. The company has now reached more than 600,000 patients, providing early-stage breast cancer diagnosis in 87% of cases and saving thousands of lives.
Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, an impact fund within the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, recently invested in Mamotest to support its plans to continue growing and scaling their current work in Argentina and Mexico, as well as expanding into other countries in the region.
“J&J Impact Ventures is excited to partner with Mamotest, a company that is aligned with our focus on health equity and strategy for sustainable impact. We are thrilled for Mamotest to be our first investment in Latin America and look forward to supporting them to reach more patients across the region.” - Dana Deardorff, Global Director of J&J Impact Ventures