DIGITAL PATHOLOGY
5. AI monetisation models face growing scrutiny
However, another trend that emerged was that ambition around AI must align with commercial reality. Subscription- based AI models tied to fixed read volumes have drawn criticism from pathologists, particularly when laboratories are still early in their adoption journey. Interviewees also raised concerns about the administrative burden that could arise as the number of AI vendors entering the market continues to grow. For AI vendors, this highlights a
growing tension between predictable revenue models and the operational uncertainty laboratories face during early digital pathology adoption. Signify Research has previously noted that the digital pathology AI market was overdue for consolidation. Recent developments suggest that this shift may already be underway, with Modella’s acquisition by AstraZeneca earlier this year and DeepBio reducing its workforce to focus on its Roche partnership. At the same time, in resource-
constrained public healthcare systems, flexible operating expenditure models are becoming increasingly atractive because they reduce upfront financial risk and allow laboratories to scale adoption more gradually. Taken together with the sentiments
expressed by interviewees, it is clear that the industry has not yet fully resolved how best to commercialise and price different types of AI deployment across clinical environments.
6. Looking ahead: pixelomics and the computational pathologist
Beyond the operational pressures facing laboratories today, many interviewees also spoke about a more transformative
Rather than pursuing autonomous diagnosis, vendors are increasingly positioning AI as a practical tool that improves efficiency, supports decision-making and reduces routine workload.
horizon for digital pathology. Despite current frustrations around workflow friction and interoperability, there was clear enthusiasm about the long- term potential of the technology to modernise the specialty and support its sustainability. One interviewee described the field
moving towards ‘pixelomics’, where AI extracts pixel-level biomarkers from digital slides and integrates them with genomics, radiology and wider clinical metadata to create a more holistic diagnostic picture. At the same time, others envision increasingly integrated diagnostic environments that bring together multiple data sources into a single interface. These visions reflect a broader
Laboratories often remain locked into legacy vendors because they simply do not have the IT resources to
build new interfaces Rick Carter, Director, Anatomic
Pathology Laboratory Operations; Co-Founder, PIROuette Dx
transition toward computational pathology, where digital slides become one component within a multi-modal diagnostic environment integrating morphology, genomics and clinical data.
The bottom line When we distilled the interviews down to their core themes, the priorities were remarkably consistent: Fewer clicks Fewer silos Fewer fragile integrations AI that supports rather than distracts Commercial models that reflect real- world workflows Technology that simply works.
The future of pathology will undoubtedly be digital and increasingly
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WWW.PATHOLOGYINPRACTICE.COM May 2026
computational. But success in will not be defined by how sophisticated an algorithm appears in a product demonstration. It will be defined by how much invisible labour disappears from a pathologist’s day. And in 2026, that is what truly matters.
Imogen Fit joined Signify Research in 2018 as part of the Healthcare IT team. She holds a First Class Biomedical Sciences degree from the University of Warwick. Since joining the team, Imogen has studied various healthcare markets and is now expanding Signify Research’s coverage in Digital Laboratory & Lifesciences markets.
Alan Stoddart joined Signify Research in 2020, using his editorial expertise to lead on the company’s insight and analysis services. Prior to joining, Alan held editorial positions covering a diverse range of technology and engineering topics working with Kantar Media and Kimberley Media Group.
Signify Research has been tracking the digital pathology market since 2017 and now interviews more than 150 stakeholders in the ecosystem as a part of its research every year. This includes not only digital pathology vendors but also pharmaceutical companies, CROs, pathologists, IT infrastructure companies, and adjacent LIS and radiology health technology vendors to provide as comprehensive an analysis as possible.
Digital Pathology Market Intelligence Service – World provides rolling 12-month coverage of the global Digital Pathology market.
www.signifyresearch.net/digital- pathology-market-intelligence- service-2026/
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AdobeStock / ultramansk
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