- Teal Health has raised $22 million in Series A funding, taking its total funding to $45 million as it prepares to expand access to at-home HPV cervical cancer screening.
- .406 Ventures led the round, with continued backing from Emerson Collective, Forerunner, Labcorp and Serena Ventures, alongside new investor MPower Partners.
- The company plans to expand partnerships with payers, health systems, employers and providers ahead of broader insurance coverage for self-collected cervical cancer screening expected from January 2027.
Teal Health is betting that the future of cervical cancer screening does not have to involve a speculum, a clinic visit or waiting weeks for an appointment. The San Francisco-based women’s health company has raised $22 million in Series A funding to scale its at-home HPV screening platform, bringing its total funding to $45 million.
The round was led by .406 Ventures, with participation from existing backers Emerson Collective, Forerunner, Labcorp and Serena Ventures, as well as new investor MPower Partners. The funding arrives as Teal prepares to move its screening technology beyond early adopters and into broader healthcare channels.
From an at-home device to a screening platform
Teal Health was founded in 2020 by Kara Egan and Dr. Avnesh Thakor around a straightforward problem: cervical cancer screening can be highly effective, but access to traditional screening remains difficult for many women.
Its flagship Teal Wand is an FDA-authorised self-collection device designed to allow women to collect samples at home for HPV cervical cancer screening. The process is paired with a telehealth visit, secure results delivery and follow-up care when required.
The company says 59% of women choosing Teal are underscreened, highlighting the potential role of self-collection in reaching people who have fallen behind on routine screening.
The company previously raised $10 million in 2025, bringing its funding at the time to $23 million. With this round, the company prepared to launch its research-backed at-home screening technology following an FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and a $1.68 million National Cancer Institute SBIR grant.
The insurance shift could change the market
Teal’s latest raise comes ahead of a potentially important change in the US reimbursement landscape. The company says broad insurance coverage for self-collected cervical cancer screening is expected to begin in January 2027, creating a potential pathway for at-home testing to become part of routine preventive care rather than remaining a direct-to-consumer alternative.
Teal plans to use the new capital to expand partnerships with health systems, providers, employers, payers and brands, while also increasing direct-purchase availability.
“We designed Teal for all women, whether they are behind on their screening or coming due. Screening is just too difficult today, whether that is finding an appointment, the time in your day to attend, or the physical discomfort. Women need an accurate, trusted alternative that makes it easy to screen,” said Kara Egan, CEO and Co-Founder of Teal Health. “This funding allows us to scale to meet the demand of patients and providers. It’s clear this option is preferred by women and now we can ensure everyone has a way to stay healthy.”
For .406 Ventures, the opportunity is not simply about making screening more convenient.
“Patients are demanding more convenient ways to access healthcare, and Teal has proven that convenience doesn’t have to come at the expense of accuracy,” said Kathryn Taylor Reddy, Partner at .406 Ventures. “With insurance coverage expanding in 2027, Teal Health is positioned to transform how millions of women receive essential preventive healthcare.”
Competition moves beyond the clinic
Teal is entering a broader healthtech market where startups are using diagnostics, AI and at-home testing to shift parts of healthcare away from hospitals and clinics.
TFN has also covered Intu Diagnostics, a German spinout developing lab-free HPV testing that can deliver results without electricity or conventional laboratory infrastructure. The company recently raised more than €3 million as it works to expand its testing platform beyond HPV.
Elsewhere in women’s health, Juno Bio recently raised $3.8 million to scale precision vaginal microbiome testing and establish a CLIA-certified sequencing laboratory dedicated to women’s health. The broader femtech market is also attracting larger rounds. TFN recently reported Evvy’s $40 million raise, as the company expands its vaginal microbiome data platform into fertility.
Teal’s differentiation is its focus on the intersection of FDA-authorised self-collection, HPV screening, telehealth and healthcare partnerships. Since receiving FDA authorisation in 2025, Teal says it has screened thousands of women, contributed to research through 17 peer-reviewed papers and presentations, and developed partnerships across health systems, providers, employers and payers.
The company’s next challenge is therefore less about proving that women want a more convenient screening experience and more about making that experience available, reimbursed and routine at national scale.
