Summary: Testmate Health secured $6 million in seed funding to develop a low-cost, over-the-counter self-test for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), initially targeting chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Takeaways

  1. Testmate Health’s urine-based DNA platform is designed to deliver accurate, lab-quality STI results in under 30 minutes from home.
  2. The $6 million funding round will accelerate product development and market validation, making at-home STI testing more accessible.
  3. The discreet OTC test aims to reduce undiagnosed cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea, preventing infertility and complications during pregnancy.

Testmate Health, a developer of at-home testing solutions, secured $6 million in seed funding to develop a low-cost, over-the-counter (OTC), self-test for sexually transmitted infections (STI), starting with chlamydia and gonorrhea. 

Improving STI Testing

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, according to the company.

Testmate Health founder and CEO Siew-Veena Sahi, MD, 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.” 

Further reading: WHO Releases New Guidance on STI Testing, Diagnosis

Addressing Chlamydia and Gonorrhea

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, according to Testmate Health.

“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,” says Elizabeth Bailey, lead investor from RH Capital.

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.

Featured image: Testmate Health founder and CEO Siew-Veena Sahi’s, MD, prior research at the World Health Organization revealed the lack of cheap and accurate STI tests, leading her to develop Testmate’s urine-based DNA platform detection technology. Photo: Testmate Health