About Alpenglow Biosciences
Ground-truth insights start with 3D data.
Alpenglow Biosciences is advancing AI-enabled 3D tissue imaging, digital pathology, and spatial profiling to help researchers and clinical teams see biology in full tissue context.
Our origin
A pathology challenge became a 3D tissue imaging platform.
Alpenglow’s story began when Nicholas Reder, MD, MPH, then a pathology resident at the University of Washington, asked whether tissue samples could be scanned, examined, and analyzed more efficiently than conventional sectioning allowed.
The turning point
That question led to a collaboration across pathology, engineering, and microscopy, forming the foundation for Alpenglow’s patented open-top light-sheet microscope technology.
The challenge
Thin sections could not show the full tissue context.
Conventional pathology workflows rely on slicing tissue into thin sections. The founding question was simple: could intact samples be scanned rapidly in 3D to reveal more complete biological structure?
The collaboration
Pathology and engineering converged around a new imaging approach.
The work brought together Nicholas Reder, Jonathan Liu, Adam Glaser, and Larry True, resulting in patented open-top light-sheet microscopy designed for high-throughput 3D tissue imaging.
The evolution
From Lightspeed Microscopy to Alpenglow Biosciences.
The platform evolved from imaging technology into an AI-enabled 3D spatial biology solution, connecting volumetric datasets, digital pathology, spatial profiling, and quantitative tissue analysis.
Company momentum
Advancing 3D spatial biology from research innovation to clinical impact.
Alpenglow is expanding the role of whole tissue imaging, AI-powered analysis, digital pathology, and spatial profiling through federal support, strategic collaborations, and clinical diagnostics partnerships.
Federal support
Backed by major programs advancing cancer and prostate diagnostics.
Alpenglow has been awarded up to $24M in contracts from ARPA-H and the NIH to support the development of 3D tissue imaging, AI-powered analysis, and clinical product development.
Up to $24M
ARPA-H and NIH contracts supporting diagnostic innovation.
3D data
Full-volume tissue context for quantitative analysis and AI development.
ZEISS partnership
Co-developing tools for clinical 3D pathology.
Alpenglow and ZEISS announced a partnership to co-develop an inverted light-sheet microscope and bioinformatics pipeline tailored for clinical 3D pathology applications.
Virdx agreement
Linking 3D tissue ground truth with MRI-based AI.
The Virdx collaboration combines whole-tissue 3D light-sheet imaging with MRI-based AI for prostate cancer detection.
PathNet partnership
Moving toward clinical-scale 3D AI diagnostics.
Alpenglow and PathNet are advancing clinical-grade 3D AI diagnostics in urologic oncology, starting with prostate and bladder cancer.
Summit AI™
Turning full-sample tissue imaging into spatial readouts.
Summit AI™ generates quantitative readouts and spatial profiling from full biopsy data for translational research, biomarker development, and clinical discovery.
A company built around ground-truth 3D data.
From patented 3D tissue imaging to volumetric datasets and AI-powered spatial analytics, Alpenglow is building the infrastructure for more complete tissue insight.
Investors
Supported by investors backing 3D tissue data.
Alpenglow is building 3D tissue imaging, AI-powered analysis, digital pathology, and spatial profiling tools for research and clinical discovery.
Our investors
Backing the development of 3D imaging, spatial analytics, and clinical tissue intelligence.
Milestones
From university research to a clinical 3D AI roadmap.
A steady progression from 3D microscopy innovation to translational assays, strategic partnerships, and AI-powered spatial analytics.
Scientific foundation
UW co-founders begin high-throughput 3D microscopy work.
Pathology, engineering, and microscopy converge around intact tissue imaging.
Company formation
Lightspeed Microscopy is founded.
The company begins commercializing patented open-top light-sheet microscopy.
Commercial launch
Commercial operations begin.
Initial partnerships focus on pharma R&D applications.
Venture financing
$4M raised to scale the solution.
Financing supports growth in the pharma R&D market.
Alpenglow Biosciences
The company rebrands and unveils Aurora 3D™.
Aurora 3D™ connects imaging, data processing, and analysis. Explore Aurora 3D™
Spatial biology community
The first 3D Spatial Summit is hosted.
Alpenglow also launches the first clinical trial using 3D spatial biology.
Assay expansion
3D Derm Score™ and 3D I/O Pro™ launch.
End-to-end assays support tissue imaging, spatial profiling, and quantitative tissue analysis.
Funding and partnerships
Federal contracts and strategic collaborations accelerate clinical 3D pathology.
ARPA-H, NIH, ZEISS, and Virdx expand the clinical roadmap. Read press releases
Clinical AI direction
PathNet partnership and Summit AI™ mark the next phase.
The focus expands to clinical-scale 3D AI diagnostics and quantitative spatial readouts. Explore Summit AI™
Learn more
Meet the people and progress behind Alpenglow.
Explore the leadership team, follow company updates, or connect with Alpenglow to discuss 3D tissue imaging, AI-powered analysis, digital pathology, and spatial profiling.