Hepta Bio, founded by former Illumina and Grail staff, closed a $6.7 million seed financing to develop transformer‑based AI that decodes cfDNA methylation signals to detect chronic diseases such as metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The startup reports early clinical AUC of 0.86 for fibrosis detection, claiming improved specificity over existing blood tests. Investors include Felicis Ventures and Illumina Ventures; Hepta aims to expand datasets, scale its platform and pursue regulatory milestones. The raise signals investor interest in applying liquid‑biopsy approaches beyond oncology into prevalent chronic diseases.