Biotech News | Read the latest health news on TechCrunch

Nodal connects hopeful parents with surrogates as reproductive freedom hangs in limbo

Rebecca Szkutak — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 19:23:17 +0000

Many people who want to have children can’t, or shouldn’t, carry a pregnancy for a variety of reasons. Gestational surrogacy can be a great option for those individuals — if they can endure the lengthy wait times and afford to pay for the costly service. New York-based Nodal looks to make the process less expensive, […]

Alan unveils AI health assistant for its 680K health insurance members

Romain Dillet — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 09:27:54 +0000

Alan wants to build a super app for healthcare, so it's rolling out three new product updates, including an AI chatbot that's vetted by doctors.

CareYaya is enabling affordable home care by connecting healthcare students with elders

Aisha Malik — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

CareYaya, a platform that matches people who need caregivers with healthcare students, is working to disrupt the caregiving industry. The startup, which exhibited as part of the Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt, is looking to enhance affordable in-home support, while also helping students prepare for their future healthcare careers. The startup was founded in 2022 […]

Oura buys Sparta Science, its third acquisition in 2 years

Brian Heater — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 20:10:53 +0000

Smart ring maker Oura on Thursday announced that it has acquired Sparta Science, a Bay Area-based health tracking startup. TechCrunch spoke to Sparta back in 2018 at the offices of Playground Global, a key investor. The deal marks Oura’s third acquisition in two years. The company purchased digital identity platform Proxy in May 2023. This […]

And the winner of Startup Battlefield at Disrupt 2024 is: Salva Health

Isabelle Johannessen, Anthony Ha — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 23:29:56 +0000

Over the last three days, 20 startups participated in the incredibly competitive Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt. These 20 companies were selected as the best of the Startup Battlefield 200 and competed for a chance to take home the Startup Battlefield Cup and $100,000. After three days of intense pitching, we have a winner. The […]

2024 Startup Battlefield Top 5 Finalists: geCKo Materials

Yashad Kulkarni — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 18:30:00 +0000

A bio-inspired Dry Adhesive that is ultra-strong, reusable, leaves no residue, and requires no force to detach. The product opens new applications in industrial automations, robotic gripping, space and defense. Subscribe for more on YouTube: https://tcrn.ch/youtube Follow TechCrunch on Instagram: http://tcrn.ch/instagram TikTok: https://tcrn.ch/tiktok X: tcrn.ch/x Threads: https://tcrn.ch/threads Facebook: https://tcrn.ch/facebook Bluesky: https://tcrn.ch/bluesky Mastodon: https://tcrn.ch/mstdn Read more: […]

2024 Startup Battlefield Top 5 Finalists: MabLab

Yashad Kulkarni — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Maker of 5-in-1, at-home rapid tests to screen for laced drugs and spiked drinks. Results delivered in under three minutes, potentially saving over 100,000 lives annually and preventing an additional 5 million hospitalizations every year. Subscribe for more on YouTube: https://tcrn.ch/youtube Follow TechCrunch on Instagram: http://tcrn.ch/instagram TikTok: https://tcrn.ch/tiktok X: tcrn.ch/x Threads: https://tcrn.ch/threads Facebook: https://tcrn.ch/facebook Bluesky: […]

2024 Startup Battlefield Top 5 Finalists: Salva Health

Yashad Kulkarni — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Julieta is a portable, AI-powered breast cancer detection device that eliminates barriers to early screening, ensuring access even in remote areas. Subscribe for more on YouTube: https://tcrn.ch/youtube Follow TechCrunch on Instagram: http://tcrn.ch/instagram TikTok: https://tcrn.ch/tiktok X: tcrn.ch/x Threads: https://tcrn.ch/threads Facebook: https://tcrn.ch/facebook Bluesky: https://tcrn.ch/bluesky Mastodon: https://tcrn.ch/mstdn Read more: https://techcrunch.com/

Archon emerges from stealth with $20M and ‘antibody cages’ to power up drug development

Devin Coldewey — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:01:00 +0000

Archon Biosciences, a biotech startup putting AI to work designing novel biomolecules, has just emerged from stealth with an impressive $20 million in seed funding. The company aims to supercharge antibody treatments using specially designed protein “cages” that multiply their effects, opening up new opportunities in drug development. The company was spun out of Baker […]

MDC is building a surgical robot that operates inside an MRI

Brian Heater — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 22:13:23 +0000

MRIs are an indispensable tool for surgeons, though the technology certainly has its limitations. Take, for instance, surgeons using the machines to guide their procedures. The current process entails putting the patient into a machine to get an image, before pulling them out to advance a needle one centimeter at a time. It’s a time-consuming […]

2024 Startup Battlefield Top 20 Finalists: Haptic

Yashad Kulkarni — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 21:00:00 +0000

A B2B SaaS company creating a universal language through touch whose tactile technology empowers intuitive, safe navigation without visual or audio cues – enhancing accessibility and awareness for all. Subscribe for more on YouTube: https://tcrn.ch/youtube Follow TechCrunch on Instagram: http://tcrn.ch/instagram TikTok: https://tcrn.ch/tiktok X: tcrn.ch/x Threads: https://tcrn.ch/threads Facebook: https://tcrn.ch/facebook Bluesky: https://tcrn.ch/bluesky Mastodon: https://tcrn.ch/mstdn Read more: https://techcrunch.com/

2024 Startup Battlefield Top 20 Finalists: geCKo Materials

Yashad Kulkarni — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 21:00:00 +0000

Salva Health wants to lower breast cancer mortality with its affordable screening device

Marina Temkin — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 18:12:39 +0000

Six years ago, while researching for a college entrepreneurship competition, Valentina Agudelo identified a troubling gap in breast cancer survival rates between Latin America and the developed world, with women in her native Colombia and the rest of the continent dying at higher rates due to late detection. She realized that breast cancer is highly […]

Luna wants to help young girls navigate their health and well-being

Aisha Malik — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 17:46:10 +0000

Meet Luna, a health and well-being app for teen girls that is designed to help them navigate teenhood. The app lets teens ask questions about their health and wellness and get responses from experts. It also lets them track their periods, moods, and skin. The London-based startup presented today at on the Startup Battlefield stage […]

MabLab’s improved drug and drink testing strips could make for safer streets and venues

Devin Coldewey — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 21:53:00 +0000

For anyone who parties or goes out dancing, the risk of accidentally taking adulterated drugs is a real one. MabLab, presenting today on the Startup Battlefield stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, has created a testing strip that detects the five most common and dangerous additives in minutes. Co-founders Vienna Sparks and Skye Lam met in […]

2024 Startup Battlefield Top 20 Finalists: MabLab

Yashad Kulkarni — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 21:00:00 +0000

Level Zero Health is working on a potentially life-changing device for hormone health

Julie Bort — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 18:35:00 +0000

Level Zero Health’s co-founders Ula Rustamova and Irene Jia are swinging for the fences. They are attempting to invent a never-achieved technology that could help millions of people. If they succeed — and there are some positive early indicators — they will create a continuous hormone monitoring medical device. Such a device could do for […]

2024 Startup Battlefield Top 20 Finalists: Level Zero Health

Yashad Kulkarni — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 17:35:00 +0000

Pioneering Continuous Hormone Monitoring with a simple patch device that you can wear on top of your arm for up to 2 weeks. Subscribe for more on YouTube: https://tcrn.ch/youtube Follow TechCrunch on Instagram: http://tcrn.ch/instagram TikTok: https://tcrn.ch/tiktok X: tcrn.ch/x Threads: https://tcrn.ch/threads Facebook: https://tcrn.ch/facebook Bluesky: https://tcrn.ch/bluesky Mastodon: https://tcrn.ch/mstdn Read more: https://techcrunch.com/

YC startup Pharos lands a $5M seed led by Felicis to bring AI to hospital quality reporting

Marina Temkin — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:30:00 +0000

Medical and administrative staff are increasingly overwhelmed with piles of paperwork they have to fill out every day. Dozens, if not hundreds, of startups, are seeing opportunities to make those bureaucratic processes less burdensome with the help of generative AI. These companies are building AI medical scribes, platforms for pre-authorizing health insurance payments, and products […]

Medtech Alimetry gases up with $18M for a wearable to help diagnose gastric disorders

Natasha Lomas — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 16:05:40 +0000

Gut health isn’t the most glamorous of topics, but as many as 1 in 10 people regularly suffer from gastric symptoms like nausea, bloating, or cramping after eating. Figuring out exactly what’s causing stomach misery is not easy without invasive tests. But New Zealand-based startup Alimetry has developed a wearable device that can speed up […]