Elizabeth Holmes, 41, is at the moment in jail for defrauding investors by her notorious blood-testing startup Theranos.
Now, her companion and the daddy of her two youngsters, Billy Evans, has based a blood-testing startup—however the firm insists it is not Theranos 2.0.
The New York Times studies that Evans, 33, is engaged on a brand new firm known as Haemanthus, Greek for “blood flower,” which focuses on detecting ailments by small samples of blood, urine, and saliva. In line with investor supplies considered by The Occasions, Evans has raised $3.5 million for the startup from family and friends and is reaching out to buyers in Austin and San Francisco for a further $15 million in funding this spring.
Haemanthus was integrated in February 2024 and is concentrated on animal exams and pet well being care earlier than increasing to people.
Earlier this month, the startup acquired its first patent for a small, box-like machine that makes use of lasers to course of blood, saliva, or urine samples. In line with advertising supplies, the machine can determine cancers, infections, and diseases to make diagnoses with laser know-how. Haemanthus’ advertising supplies define its long-term objective of ultimately growing a small, wearable model of the machine for people.
Elizabeth Holmes and Billy Evans. Picture by Philip Pacheco/Getty Photographs
Holmes’ firm, Theranos, additionally tried to diagnose ailments from a small pattern of blood utilizing a box-like machine, the Edison. The corporate, which Holmes based in 2003, had a $9 billion valuation by 2015 however gained infamy after Wall Avenue Journal reporter John Carreyrou exposed that its know-how yielded inaccurate readings and trusted third-party know-how to carry out its exams.
The startup collapsed in September 2018, and in November 2022, Holmes was sentenced to 11 years and three months in jail after being discovered responsible of defrauding buyers out of lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars}. She started serving her sentence in Might 2023.
Holmes met Evans in 2017, and the couple now has two youngsters.
Sources informed NPR that although Holmes is imprisoned in a federal facility in Bryan, Texas, she has been giving Evans recommendation on Haemanthus.
The startup denies the claims. Haemanthus turned to X over the weekend to make clear that “this isn’t Theranos 2.0” and that Holmes has “zero involvement” within the firm.
“We have discovered from her firm’s errors, however she has no function, now or future,” the startup wrote in an X thread on Sunday.
The startup says it takes a “essentially totally different” strategy from Theranos by utilizing lasers to course of blood and different fluids.
“Theranos tried to miniaturize present exams,” Haemanthus wrote on X. “Our strategy is essentially totally different. We use mild to learn the whole molecular story in organic fluids, seeing patterns present exams cannot detect.”
3/ Setting the report straight. Elizabeth Holmes has zero involvement in Haemanthus. We have discovered from her firm’s errors, however she has no function, now or future. NYT & @NPR implied in any other case. We have stayed quiet to construct actual tech, not conceal. Demonstrating, not promising.
— haemanthus (@haemanthusinc) May 11, 2025
Haemanthus has about 10 workers underneath Evans, The New York Occasions studies.
Holmes is anticipated to be launched from jail on August 16, 2032.
