Start-up raises US$6m for at-home STI diagnostic test

The Swiss-based medtech start-up Testmate Health has secured US$6m in funding to develop an at-home test for sexually transmitted infections (STI).

Recent data show that rates of STIs in the US reached an all-time high in 2021 among both females and males, and all racial and ethnic groups.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of combined cases of gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia was more than 2.54 million in 2021 up from 2 .4 million in 2020.

Current tests for these most commonly reported notifiable infections require in-clinic office visits and results can take days.

Testmate’s urine tests aim to provide “lab-quality” results at home in under 30 minutes.

“We want to help end the silent epidemic of sexually transmitted infections for chlamydia and gonorrhoea,” said Testmate founder and CEO, Dr Siew-Veena Sahi, an expert in sexual health diagnostics.

“Through Testmate’s low-cost, DNA platform detection technology, we are empowering individuals to take control of their sexual health with accessible, accurate and easy self-testing solutions.”

Sahi’s research at the World Health Organization emphasised the absence of cheap and accurate STI tests, leading her to develop the 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, is hoped to enable Testmate to speed up product development and market validation.

While one in five people in the US have an STI, 85 per cent of these infections are asymptomatic. Left untreated, chlamydia and gonorrhoea are two of the leading infective causes of infertility worldwide.

Discreet testing available over-the-counter is expected to increase disease detection and treatment, reducing the possibility of infertility, chronic pain and complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Elizabeth Bailey, lead investor from RH Capital, said: “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.”