Germany-based Intu Diagnostics, a Fraunhofer Institute spinout, has closed a €1.1 million bridge round backed by BSV Ventures and the Saxonian Development Bank, bringing total funding to over €3 million. The company is developing an all-in-one diagnostic cartridge that delivers PCR-quality HPV detection without a lab, electricity, trained staff, or any additional equipment – results appear as a color change in 30 minutes.
The technology addresses a stark global gap: Cervical cancer causes approximately 350,000 deaths annually, with 85% of cases occurring in countries that lack sufficient laboratory facilities for routine screening. Current PCR testing – the gold standard for HPV detection – requires labs, trained technicians, and specialized equipment. Standard rapid antigen tests are faster but work at the protein level, missing infections that molecular testing catches.
Intu’s cartridge works at the molecular level like PCR but requires only a sample and a 30-minute wait. No reader device, power source, app, or special training needed.
Founded in 2023 by Dr. Skaiste Arbaciauskaite and Dr. Dirk Kuhlmeier, the company plans to launch consumer tests in 2027. The bridge round will fund IP protection, pilot manufacturing trials, and preparation for a seed round.
The platform is designed to expand beyond HPV into respiratory viruses, STIs, malaria, and tuberculosis. A prototype was tested in Tanzania in 2020 in collaboration with the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute for diagnosing eye infections caused by chlamydia.
