Teal Health Raises $10M as they Prepare to Launch the Teal Wand™ for At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening

With $23M in funding raised to date, Teal aims to transform a critical women's health screening.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Teal Health, a women's health company on a mission to eliminate cervical cancer in the US, announced today the close of an additional $10 million in seed funding to support the upcoming launch of the Teal Wand™, which is currently under FDA review and on track to be the US market's first FDA-approved at-home self-collect cervical cancer screening device. This new capital brings Teal Health's funding to $23 million to date as the company accelerates its product development and readies go-to-market plans.

This latest investment, led by Emerson Collective and Forerunner with continued support from existing investors, such as Serena Ventures, Metrodora, and new partner Labcorp, marks a pivotal step for Teal Health. It builds on the company's recent achievements, including a $1.68 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Cancer Institute and FDA Breakthrough Device Designation. These milestones will enable Teal Health to advance its go-to-market strategy for its thoughtfully designed, research-backed at-home cervical cancer screening, upon FDA approval. The emphasis on design ensures the device is effective and user-friendly, allowing more women to take control of their health.

Teal Health was established to address the reality that today, 92 million U.S. women and people with a cervix are of screening age, but 1 in 4 are not screening routinely due to limited access and discomfort with the invasive exam. Cervical cancer screening is a key part of women's preventive health and the only cancer screening that starts as young as 21 and spans at least forty years of a woman's life, through some of the most busy and demanding years. With Teal Health's at-home screening device and telehealth platform, the company is uniquely positioned to dramatically increase the rate of screening engagement in the U.S., thus significantly improving women's health outcomes.

Nicole Johnson, a partner at Forerunner, shared her excitement about co-leading this investment with Emerson Collective, underscoring the alignment with Forerunner's focus on companies that improve consumers' lives. "There is no shortage of reasons for wanting to improve on the traditional healthcare system, but one unequivocal truth is that many healthcare experiences are not built with the end consumer as the primary customer. This feels especially true for women's health, despite women accounting for ~80% of healthcare spending. Teal Health represents a unique opportunity to recreate the experience for one of women's most routine and critical health screenings, making cervical cancer screens remarkably more comfortable and convenient. Teal's debut product is a prime example of how a dramatically better experience could mean dramatically better adherence, quality of care, and outcomes."

The industry has shifted toward Primary HPV testing for cervical cancer screening, and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has included self-collection in its recent draft recommendations, recognizing its role in increasing adherence to screening. The USPSTF highlights that self-collected HPV samples, which the Teal Wand is, are as accurate as clinician-collected samples and are particularly effective in reaching underscreened individuals and historically underserved populations. Most notably, evidence shows that at-home self-collection can significantly boost screening rates.

Teal Health is dedicated to making self-collection screening easy and accessible from the comfort of one's home. With an abundantly clear demand for more user-friendly and convenient options, the Teal Wand is poised to transform the market. In a recent nationwide clinical study conducted by Teal Health, 94% of women across all demographics preferred at-home screening over traditional in-clinic screenings with a speculum and brush. By aligning with evidence-based guidelines and addressing barriers like convenience and comfort, Teal Health aims to allow more women to stay on track with critical cervical cancer screenings.

"Cervical cancer is detectable and treatable if you can catch it early enough," said Matt Bettonville, Investor at Yosemite, which manages Emerson Collective's oncology investments. "Teal can take the next step towards rendering this disease non-lethal—making the screening process easier and more convenient for millions of women in the U.S."

Teal Health's FDA submission for the at-home cervical cancer screening device is currently under review — a pivotal step toward delivering the first-of-its-kind solution that puts women's preferences and needs at the forefront of the healthcare experience. Kara Egan, CEO of Teal Health, commented on the significance of the funding round, saying, "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, who are as committed as we are to eliminating cervical cancer and breaking down barriers to essential healthcare."

With strong support from dedicated investors and a growing community of early advocates, Teal Health is on track to reshape cervical cancer screening in the U.S., ensuring that women across the country have access to the care they deserve—on their own terms.

For the month of January, in honor of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, Teal Health is donating $1 to the American Cancer Society for every woman and person with a cervix who pledges to screen. See details on how to pledge on Teal's Instagram.

About Teal Health
Teal Health is on a mission to design a better healthcare experience for women - starting with cervical cancer screenings. By creating the option for a woman to screen for cervical cancer from the comfort of home and providing telehealth follow-up, Teal can increase access to this life-saving cancer screening. Teal Health is a member of the Cervical Cancer Roundtable, a joint collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the Biden Cancer Moonshot, a coalition of industry leaders with the goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health concern in the US. To learn more, visit www.getteal.com.

SOURCE Teal Health