Swedish company develops reusable pregnancy test

The femtech company Pharmista Technologies is developing an eco-friendly pregnancy test, after being admitted to the SmiLe’s incubator program.

The pregnancy test is the most widely used home diagnostic test in the world. Alice Mattsson, business developer, and her co-founder, Robert Porter, a researcher and entrepreneur, are developing a pregnancy test that can be easily and hygienically reused.

Customers just need to buy a monitor that contains chemical substances and electronics. Replaceable paper strips are loaded into the monitor before each test and the results appear on a display that provides a simpler reading than currently available tests.

The paper strips do not contain environmentally hazardous substances and are made of cellulose that is easily biodegradable which makes the product eco-friendly.

An initial prototype of the pregnancy test is expected to be ready as soon as this autumn, after which the company plans to raise more capital.

Mattsson’s business concept received considerable attention, most notably two years ago when the co-founder was one of the entrepreneurs who won the Best Business Idea of the Year in the 2020 Venture Cup.

Last year, she participated in the entrepreneurship program SmiLe HealthTech Bootcamp. She has now further developed the company and meets the criteria for admission to the incubator program.

“It feels great to be accepted to SmiLe’s incubator program and become part of the SmiLe community,” Mattsson says.

“When I was ready to apply to an incubator, SmiLe was my first choice and here, I can get support in those areas where I lack personal experience and competence, such as patents and regulatory aspects.”

Lina Boreson, chief operating officer for SmiLe Incubator, is happy to support Alice in the development of the company.

“She is one of many talented young entrepreneurs who apply to SmiLe with innovations that will solve some of today’s problems in the health area, while also pursuing a clear sustainability profile.”

Pharmista’s group of external advisors also includes Dr. Christina Östberg Lloyd, a gynecologist with extensive experience in the life science industry and CEO of the femtech company Pharmiva, Börje Sellergren, professor of biomedical technology at Malmö University in Sweden and Erika Toft, innovation adviser at Malmö University.

To find out more, visit pharmistatechnologies.com.