• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
TechBiotech

Thera-who? These biotech firms are looking to push what’s possible with blood

Rey Mashayekhi
By
Rey Mashayekhi
Rey Mashayekhi
Down Arrow Button Icon
Rey Mashayekhi
By
Rey Mashayekhi
Rey Mashayekhi
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 22, 2021, 2:00 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

It wasn’t just the investors and business partners of Theranos who were hurt by the health-tech firm’s remarkable downfall. After it emerged that the blood-testing machine the company had developed never functioned properly, an entire generation of like-minded blood-tech startups found themselves cast in Theranos’s ignominious shadow and blackballed by investors.

It’s now three years since federal authorities brought the hammer down on Theranos, spurring the company into insolvency. Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes is standing trial in federal court for fraud, while her ex-boyfriend and former Theranos president Sunny Balwani will do the same in January.

But while Theranos is still in the spotlight, it appears that biotech startups developing advancements in blood testing and analytics are finally overcoming the stigma they felt after its demise. As of early September, blood-testing startups had raised more than $200 million in funding in the previous 12 months, according to the Financial Times. That windfall came amid a bumper year for the broader realm of equipment diagnostics, where companies had raised around $6.1 billion at the end of August, according to PitchBook data cited by the FT—eclipsing their 2020 haul and nearly tripling what they had raised in 2019.

There is now no shortage of innovative biotech startups looking to push what’s possible with a blood test—and no lack of investors seeking to back them in the hunt for the next transformative medical technology. Here are some of the firms bringing fresh blood into the biotech space, and rendering Theranos a nightmarish relic of the past.

Genalyte

It seems unfair to compare Genalyte’s Maverick Diagnostic System to Theranos’s notorious Edison device—as the Maverick appears to actually work—but the similarities are there. Genalyte’s mini-fridge-size device uses silicon chip–based technology to perform rapid, simultaneous tests on a small blood sample. The company says it can detect dozens of different antibodies from a single drop of blood, with results in as little as 20 minutes.

The Food and Drug Administration has already approved the Maverick for select antibody tests (including coronavirus antibodies), and Genalyte is expected to submit more tests for FDA approval later this year. In the meantime, investors have flocked to the San Diego–based company; Verily, Alphabet’s life sciences division, led a $50 million funding round in January that valued Genalyte at $350 million, according to PitchBook data.

Grail

Grail’s Galleri liquid biopsy test has been hailed as a revolution in early-stage cancer screening, as it uses DNA sequencing technology to detect more than 50 different types of cancer from a blood sample. Grail began rolling out Galleri in the U.S. earlier this year—though it has yet to receive full FDA approval—while Britain’s National Health Service began trialing the test last month.

Silicon Valley–based Grail was founded in 2015 as a spinoff of Illumina, the San Diego–based trailblazer in genetic sequencing and therapy. Grail went on to raise $2 billion in funding from backers including Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, as well as institutional investors like the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Last year, Illumina announced its intention to reacquire Grail in a deal valued at $8 billion; the transaction was completed in August over the objections of U.S. and EU antitrust regulators, who are now seeking to reverse the deal.

Truvian

Like many of its blood-testing counterparts, Truvian has high ambitions though its aims are simple: to make blood diagnostics quicker, easier, and cheaper. The company says its compact, benchtop device would let pharmacies, doctor’s offices, and health clinics deliver test results in as little as 20 minutes with as few as five drops of blood—providing lab-caliber insights on dozens of common wellness tests, without needing to ship samples to an off-site lab. Truvian is currently seeking FDA approval of the device.

The San Diego–based startup was founded in 2015 and has raised more than $176 million in funding to date, according to PitchBook data. Its most recent round came this February, when Truvian raised $105 million in a Series C that valued it at $405 million.

Sight Diagnostics

Sight’s OLO device is a complete blood count (CBC) analyzer that deploys A.I. and machine-learning technology to advance what’s possible with a prick of the finger. With two drops of blood, OLO can analyze samples to conduct a CBC analysis in mere minutes, delivering lab-grade results in a fraction of the time. The device obtained FDA clearance for use in moderate complexity laboratories in 2019.

Tel Aviv–based Sight most recently raised $71 million in a Series D funding round last year that featured Koch Industries’ corporate venture capital arm among its investors. The round valued Sight at $595 million, according to PitchBook data.

Karius

By using machine learning to sequence and analyze traces of DNA in a patient’s blood, Karius’ liquid biopsy test can detect more than 1,000 pathogens from a single blood sample. That helps physicians diagnose a wide range of viral, bacterial, and fungal infectious diseases, saving lives in the process.

The Silicon Valley–based startup most recently raised $165 million in a Series B funding round in early 2020, which was notably led by SoftBank. Karius also counts the likes of Tencent, Khosla Ventures, and General Catalyst among its investors and has raised more than $254 million to date, per PitchBook data.

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories delivered straight to your inbox each morning.

About the Author
Rey Mashayekhi
By Rey Mashayekhi
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Jony Ive (left), formerly with Apple and now with OpenAI, standing next to Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, at an event in 2022.
AIOpenAI
Stolen laptops, data breaches, secret moles, and recruiting-as-espionage. Here are the wildest claims in Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI
By Emily ForliniJuly 13, 2026
7 hours ago
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are accusing each other of scamming investors as SpaceX and OpenAI jockey to lead AI revolution
AIBillionaires
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are accusing each other of scamming investors as SpaceX and OpenAI jockey to lead AI revolution
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 13, 2026
7 hours ago
u
PoliticsSocial Media
Europe to social media platforms: make yourself safe for kids under 13, somehow
By Lorne Cook, Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressJuly 13, 2026
10 hours ago
Meta’s AI data center cost went from $10 billion to $50 billion in under 2 years—and split the town in two
Big TechMeta
Meta’s AI data center cost went from $10 billion to $50 billion in under 2 years—and split the town in two
By Sydney LakeJuly 13, 2026
10 hours ago
b
CommentaryWorld Cup
Columbia Business School professors: What the Balogun red card can teach us about AI and judgment
By Oded Netzer, Christopher Frank and Paul MagnoneJuly 13, 2026
11 hours ago
‘We are driving in the fog’: Hundreds of economists admit they’re flying blind on AI
Economydisruption
‘We are driving in the fog’: Hundreds of economists admit they’re flying blind on AI
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 13, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
17 hours ago
Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
Personal Finance
Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
By Brianna Sosa and BloombergJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
Big Tech
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
17 hours ago
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
7 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.