Kara Egan and Dr. Avnesh Thakor, co-founders of Teal Health, are on a mission to make cervical cancer screenings more comfortable and accessible for women. The company, which launched in 2020, has just announced a $10 million seed extension led by Emerson Collective and Forerunner, bringing its total funding to $23 million. This investment will support the launch of Teal Wand, a first-of-its-kind at-home cervical cancer screening device, pending FDA approval.

Teal Health came out of stealth mode in January 2023 and began clinical trials in November of the same year. The company's innovative approach aims to address the declining cervical cancer screening rates, which have stabilized in recent years. According to the American Cancer Society, cervical cancer used to be one of the most common cancer deaths for women, but prevention and screening measures have helped decrease this trend. However, the past few years have seen these decreases stabilize, with more women skipping out on prevention and screening measures.

The Teal Wand is designed to provide a comfortable and convenient alternative to traditional OBGYN screenings. Women can request an at-home collection kit, which includes a telehealth visit, and then collect their vaginal samples using the Teal Wand. The sample is then sealed and shipped to a Teal-approved lab for analysis. "Teal support is available to ensure we answer any questions you have along the way," Egan, co-founder and CEO, explained.

Egan emphasized the importance of cervical cancer screenings, stating, "Cervical cancer screenings are the most important and often the entry point to a women's health relationship. More than 1 in 4 women are currently behind on this life-saving screening." The company's goal is to increase screening rates and work towards eliminating cervical cancer in the US.

The fundraising process was described as "energizing" by Egan, who leveraged her professional network, including her former experience as an investor, to secure lead investors. The interest in backing women's health companies has increased every year, and Teal Health is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend.

The fresh capital will be used to support the launch of the Teal Wand, as well as enhance the company's telehealth platform, patient portal, educational resources, and customer support tools. Egan also plans to continue growing the team of medical providers and scaling the business across the US.

While there are many women's health companies in the market, Teal Health's focus on providing an at-home device for cervical cancer sets it apart from competitors. The company's main competition is the standard OBGYN, but Teal Health is confident that its comfortable and convenient alternative will attract more customers to the product.

"The standard care is no longer working for women, and we are seeing this through the declining screening rates and increasing rates of cancer," Egan said. "By making this critical preventive screening more accessible, comfortable, and convenient, we have the power to increase screening rates and work towards eliminating cervical cancer in the US."

With its innovative approach and significant funding, Teal Health is poised to revolutionize the cervical cancer screening landscape and improve women's health outcomes.