Confer Health said today that it raised $9.5 million to support its development of affordable, at-home diagnostic devices featuring interchangeable cartridges, a reusable analyzer and a mobile app.
The Boston, Mass.-based company’s first urine-based diagnostic test is designed to help couples conceive by tracking three fertility hormones.
Confer added that it is also developing an at-home device for the detection of strep throat.
“I was initially inspired to build Confer after learning that two of my closest friends were on year three of their struggle with infertility. They had to go through that struggle alone, and I knew there had to be a way to empower them to take control of the situation,” founder & CEO Mounir Koussa said in prepared remarks.
“This technology has tremendous potential as a fertility diagnostic tool. It allows faster feedback about early stages of pregnancy for couples trying to conceive and would be highly recommended by obstetricians,” Dr. Mary Sabatini, medical director at the center for reproductive health & cancer at Mass General Hospital, added.
Confer said it expects to launch its fertility device, Confer Conceive, next year. Beyond its fertility and strep throat tests, the company is also working on diagnostics for infectious diseases and management tools for people with diabetes and heart health issues.
“Many companies have promised to give consumers control of their health, but Confer’s plan to bring the power of a clinical lab into the home is truly game-changing,” said Chamath Palihapitiya, founder & CEO of Social Capital, which led the $9.5m round. “This team has married breakthrough science with relentlessly user-centric design, and they have a unique perspective on go-to-market, supporting fertility first and expanding into new areas to keep a growing family healthy.”
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