Thriva, a company that aims to be “the world’s first preventative health service,” provides at-home blood testing kits to help people measure and monitor their health before problems arise.
“Everyone knows prevention is better than cure,” Thriva co-founder and CEO Hamish Grierson told TechCrunch. “In reality though, getting access to some of the most impactful and motivating information there is—data about how you’re really doing on the inside—is broken.”
Founded in 2016, the London-based company has helped over 100,000 people proactively manage their health. Consumers can order a test online, indicate how often they wish to administer the tests and receive the first package in the mail as soon as the next day.
The kit contains all the tools and information needed to perform the finger-prick test at home, including a postage-paid envelope to send it to a lab. The blood tests are then processed at labs certified by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), and a personalised report from a qualified general practitioner will be available to view online with evidence-based advice to help customers proactively improve their health.
The “essential” subscription package tests for heart disease, cholesterol levels and liver functioning while the “baseline” package tests for the aforementioned plus vitamin D, iron and B12.
The “advanced” package also monitors indicator risks for diabetes by measuring blood sugar over the past three months through glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) as well as folate levels.
Customers can also order a customised blood test as well as purchase hormone tests for stress (cortisol), thyroid functioning and female hormones.
“Most people are still not aware that companies like Thriva exist,” Hamish said in a statement.
“That is something we want to change as we build towards a truly consumer-led future of health. Swathes of the population are already proactively seeking improved health, and are waking up to the fact that it’s within their gift to understand and control. It’s a system we see as working in tandem with organisations like the NHS, which offer a crucial service for people at the point of need when sick and/or serious care is needed.”
However, Thriva is not the first company to attempt such a feat. The epic, multi-billion dollar Theranos scam may put many people off of the concept of at-home, accessible blood tests.
So, how is Thriva different?
“Thriva and Theranos have fundamentally different models,” the CEO explained in a statement.
“Thriva works with pre-existing, heavily validated and CE accredited partners and equipment whereas Theranos uses its own proprietary testing technology. Unlike Theranos, we collect more than a single drop of blood because it requires more blood to run the tests we run at the level of accuracy we demand. The partner lab we work with is the largest private path lab in the UK and count the NHS as their largest client. They process 40,000 tests per day.”
With its recent $7.5 million in funding, the proactive health startup plans to continues towards its mission of giving everyday people control over their health and stopping health problems before they start.
“Our mission remains the same: To provide anybody with profound control over their own wellbeing,” Hamish said. “Thriva is creating affordable access to clinical-grade information that show you what steps you can take towards thriving health.”
