The Swedish startup, Capitainer, today announced that it has closed a share issue of €1.39 million to commercialise its new dried blood spot sampling solution, Capitainer qDBS. The new disposable kit can be used at home, by non-healthcare professionals, and eliminates the risks of human error. Nordic Consumer Health and the US-based Wolf Family Trust led the round, joined by a consortium of Nordic angel investors and Capitainer management.
Capitainer, founded in 2013, has developed an easy-to-use solution for home blood sampling, which will be revolutionary for patients that need continuous monitoring, as well as save travel and healthcare resources. The new disposable sampling chip can measure and store an exact blood volume which allows for quantitative measurements, something that so far not has been possible. Patients can themselves conveniently leave samples and send it by mail to a laboratory for analysis, without the need for refrigeration or specialised packaging.
The potential impact of this new kit could be huge, as in Sweden alone more than a million therapeutic drug monitoring samples are taken each year. In addition to delivering cost savings, the kit will also improve healthcare efficiency and patient experience, and reduce environmental impact.
Mats Bergryd, CEO of Nordic Consumer Health, said: “The dried blood spot collection card market size is currently expected to reach USD 337.3 million by 2026, expanding at a CAGR of 3.5%. However, with our next generation device, Capitainer qDBS with quantitative and easy to use sampling, we will not only expand the existing market, but also be able to enter the clinical home sampling market which we believe is a billion dollar USD market. We aim at making Capitainer products the new gold standard for home sampling of blood. As a founding investor, we are delighted to lead this round and look forward to a successful commercialisation”.
Bob Wolf, Founder and President of Specialty Diagnostix, said: “From wellness screening to serological diagnostics of infectious- and autoimmune diseases, the potential for Capitainer qDBS to further increase its already positive impact on healthcare provision and outcomes is enormous and we are delighted to invest in this round”.
