LAUSANNE, Switzerland, May 8, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Testmate Health, a pioneer in at-home
testing solutions, has secured USD $6
million in seed funding to develop an industry-first,
low-cost, over-the-counter (OTC), self-test for sexually
transmitted infections (STI), starting with chlamydia and
gonorrhea.
Current tests for these most commonly reported notifiable
infections in the United States
require in-clinic office visits and results can take days. Testmate
Health's simple urine test is designed to provide lab-quality
results at home in under 30 minutes.
Testmate Health founder and CEO Siew-Veena Sahi, M.D. is an expert in sexual
health diagnostics. Her research at the World Health
Organization emphasized the absence of cheap and accurate STI
tests, leading her to develop Testmate's revolutionary
urine-based DNA platform detection technology. This seed round, led
by RH Capital, with participation from The Helm, Zürcher
Kantonal Bank, Amboy Street Ventures, Lichtsteiner Foundation,
and Dartlabs.io, will enable Testmate to speed up product
development and market validation. "We want to help
end the silent epidemic of sexually transmitted infections for
chlamydia and gonorrhea," says Sahi. "Through Testmate's
low-cost, DNA platform detection technology, we're
empowering individuals to take control of their sexual health
with accessible, accurate, and easy
self-testing solutions."
Elizabeth Bailey, lead investor
from RH Capital, noted, "We believe Testmate's approach to at-home
STI testing addresses a critical healthcare need to improve access
to essential diagnostics while ensuring the highest standards
of accuracy and privacy."
In the United States, 1 in 5
people have an STI and 85% of these infections are asymptomatic.
Left untreated, chlamydia and gonorrhea are two of the leading
infective causes of infertility worldwide.
Discreet testing available over-the-counter is expected
to dramatically increase disease detection and treatment,
reducing the possibility of infertility, chronic pain, and
complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Testmate's
proprietary STI self-test will be the first to make at-home
STI testing as ubiquitous as an at-home pregnancy test.
About Testmate Health
Testmate Health is developing
the first OTC self-test for common STIs. They can be used
anywhere at any time, providing highly accurate, lab-quality
results in less than 30 minutes. The company was founded in
2021 and is comprised by a team of experts in sexual
health and diagnostics.
About Siew-Veena Sahi,
M.D.
Dr. Siew-Veena Sahi is
on a groundbreaking mission to eradicate STIs through the
world's first rapid, urine-based at-home STI test. Early in her
career, Dr. Sahi's public health focus led her from maternity
care to the forefront of STI prevention. While attending
medical school in the UK, her path took a pivotal turn towards
addressing the silent epidemic of STIs. Her research at the
World Health Organization on the accuracy of tests used to
detect chlamydia infections in asymptomatic pregnant women
underscored the urgent need for better STI diagnostics. This work
laid the foundation for Testmate Health's innovative approach
to STI testing. Dr. Sahi's work has been recognized
by the prestigious IMD, and she has received awards from
the W.A. de Vigier Foundation and Venture Leaders
Medtech.
Contact:
Kelly Brezoczky
(831) 275-0759
377111@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Testmate Health