Making Executive Healthcare Accessible
Victoria Xu, CEO of Morocco Health, is revolutionizing early cancer detection. Her company offers a blood test for multiple cancers, a new scientific discovery that won a Nobel Prize in 2024. This affordable solution aims to address health equity, starting with early adopters.
How Victoria Xu Is Reimagining Cancer Detection
A Global Blind Spot in Early Cancer Detection
When Victoria Xu looks at the world, she sees through a lens shaped by continents, cultures, and contrasts. Having lived and worked across Europe, North America, and Asia, she has witnessed both the cutting edge and the underdeveloped sides of healthcare. “I’ve seen it all,” she said. “From rich to poor, from high tech to low tech. That gives me a unique strength. I can understand why certain systems behave as they do.” This perspective, formed by decades of global experience, is now driving her mission to change how we detect cancer.
More than 80 percent of cancers today are not screened for at all. Most early-stage cancers are found by accident, during scans for unrelated issues. As Xu explains, “Early-stage cancers are mostly incidental findings. That’s a huge missed opportunity. If we can catch cancer before symptoms appear, we can save millions of lives.”
The limitations of current screening methods, which rely heavily on imaging and risk-based eligibility, mean that countless people go undiagnosed until it is too late. “You can’t do a CT scan every day,” Xu said. “And even if you could, it only targets certain cancers and specific ‘high-risk’ populations. But 15 percent of lung cancer cases are in non-smokers. So risk categories miss a lot of people.”
miRoncal’s Revolutionary Approach
Xu founded miRoncal to tackle this global blind spot. The company is developing a simple blood test that can detect early signals of multiple cancers in one sample. The innovation lies in its use of microRNA (miRNA), a biomarker that won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine. “We use miRNA as a universal signal,” Xu explained. “It’s a relatively new discovery, and we were among the first to publish a model based on it. We’re now preparing to launch the first test of its kind in Canada.”
The test is powered by artificial intelligence, which analyzes subtle molecular patterns invisible to the human eye. “Our key invention is the algorithm,” Xu said. “It detects a shared signal across different cancers. It’s a blood test, but behind it is an AI model that learns and improves.”
miRoncal’s journey mirrors that of the early electric vehicle industry, a field Xu often references. “When Tesla started, no one had proven you could make an electric car that consumers would buy,” she said. “We’re in the same place for early cancer detection. Big companies spend billions and still struggle to bring affordable solutions to market. We’re showing there’s another way.”
Her analogy is fitting. Like Tesla, miRoncal is blending science, technology, and consumer insight to democratize access to innovation. “We’re starting with early adopters, people who are health-conscious and want proactive care,” she said. “But over time, our test will become a first line of defense for everyone.”
Redefining Preventive Health
Victoria Xu’s vision extends beyond any single product. Her mission is to shift the mindset of how people think about health. “We can’t rely on governments to pay for everything,” she said. “Public health systems do a great job providing a safety net. But if you want to do more for yourself, you should be able to. That’s empowerment.”
Her long-term goal is to make early cancer detection as routine as a cholesterol check. “We’re building something that continuously improves,” she said. “Like Tesla cars that update with new software, our test will evolve. The same data that helps you today can help us refine your health profile tomorrow.”
This forward-thinking approach reflects Xu’s blend of investor mindset and personal conviction. “I don’t need to do this for money,” she said. “I’m doing it because I can. Because I should. When you’re in a privileged position, you take risks others can’t, to do something meaningful.”
For Xu, miRoncal is not just a biotech company. It’s a movement toward equitable, data-driven healthcare, one where anyone, anywhere, can take control of their health before disease takes control of them.
Watch the Victoria Xu's UpNext PopUp interview from Elevate Festival 2025
About Flashpoint POV Spotlights
Flashpoint POV Spotlights are in-depth founder features produced by Flashpoint Global—a thought leadership management studio that helps innovators articulate the world they’re creating.
Each story begins with a Future Narrative Session and develops into a Minimum Viable POV (MVPov): the founder’s clearest statement of purpose and perspective.
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