A healthtech company founded by the partner of Elizabeth Holmes (엘리자베스 홈스), the founder of U.S. blood-testing startup Theranos, has become embroiled in a “Theranos 2.0” controversy. The company is developing disease diagnostic technology combining lasers and AI, but critics say it lacks public research proving performance and has insufficient plans for commercialisation.
The Verge reported on Oct. 28 that the startup Haemanthus, run by Holmes’ partner Billy Evans (빌리 에번스), is developing diagnostic devices that analyse blood, saliva and urine using lasers.
Evans described Haemanthus in the recently released documentary “You Can See Everything” and made remarks that recalled Theranos. Evans described it as bringing colleagues together again, but the company says Holmes is not involved in running the business.
Haemanthus’ core technology is Raman spectroscopy. The technique, discovered in 1928, identifies molecular structure and components by shining a laser on a sample and analysing the properties of scattered light.
In the medical field, research is under way to use it for early cancer detection and blood glucose measurement. The potential of the technology itself does not prove the accuracy and reliability of the device Haemanthus is developing.
Haemanthus plans to first develop devices to test blood and bodily fluids from companion animals. Over the longer term, it aims to introduce a stamp-sized wearable device that can be applied to humans.
Its development timeline is unclear. Evans said in 2023 that it could build an innovative prototype in about 1 year, but public material verifying the product’s operating performance has so far been limited.
Haemanthus’ LinkedIn page lists its headcount as 2 to 10 employees and says it is developing an AI sensor that captures thousands of biomarkers. It has not disclosed detailed validation results or research papers.
The outlet pointed out that “for medical devices to be commercialised, they must meet regulatory requirements as well as clinical accuracy and safety, not just technical completeness.” It said such verification steps cannot be skipped even if AI is used.
Still, no evidence has been confirmed that Haemanthus committed wrongdoing like Theranos. Pointing to innovation in medical diagnostic technology alone is not enough. Transparent verification and disclosure of actual performance, clinical accuracy and safety is cited as a key task for commercialisation.
