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.

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SOURCE Testmate Health