Serena Ventures—Williams’ VC firm helped donate $10 million in seed funding for Teal Health – a women’s health startup founded by Kara Egan (CEO) and Dr. Avnesh Thakor. The company, founded in 2020, was formed to create an at-home-self collect cervical cancer screening kit, which is under FDA review for the time being.
During Thakor’s medical experience, he witnessed inadequate change in cervical cancer screenings and formed a self-collect prototype. “Teal Wand™ will provide women with an alternative to the traditional screening method with stirrups and a speculum, making it easier for them to stay on top of their health – and eliminate cervical cancer as a public health concern for all women,” Egan told Afrotech.
How will the kit work?
Once a user requests a kit, it starts a vetting process to confirm eligibility. After a user is approved, the kit will be delivered to your home for sample collection. After this, the sample will be mailed to a lab, where the results will be shared through Teal Health’s application. If users want additional help, they can request to speak to a provider.
The device will be crucial for Black women as they are 41% more likely to develop cervical cancer and 75% more likely to die from it compared to their white counterparts, according to research from St. Jude.
“Cervical cancer is nearly 100% preventable with screening, yet in the U.S., more than 1 in 4 women are not up to date on their screening, and Black women are 41% more likely to develop cervical cancer than White women. It’s time to reverse this trend, our at-home self-collection screening device,” Egan said.
$ 10 million raised in seed funding
Teal Health secured $ 10 million in seed funding. Its funding round included involvement from Labcorp and current investors and Metrodora Serena Ventures—Williams’ VC firm.
“This investment allows us to bring Teal Health’s vision to life, getting our transformational screening solution into the hands of women. We’re here to create a new path forward, enabling women to take control of their health with confidence and ease. We’re deeply grateful to our investors,” Egan said.
Image: Getty/Swan Gallet
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