Elizabeth Holmes, 41, is at present in jail for defrauding investors by way of her notorious blood-testing startup Theranos.
Now, her companion and the daddy of her two kids, Billy Evans, has based a blood-testing startup—however the firm insists it is not Theranos 2.0.
The New York Times reviews that Evans, 33, is engaged on a brand new firm referred to as Haemanthus, Greek for “blood flower,” which focuses on detecting illnesses by way of small samples of blood, urine, and saliva. In line with investor supplies seen 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 an extra $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 and marketing supplies, the machine can establish cancers, infections, and diseases to make diagnoses with laser expertise. Haemanthus’ advertising and marketing supplies define its long-term aim of finally creating a small, wearable model of the machine for people.
Elizabeth Holmes and Billy Evans. Picture by Philip Pacheco/Getty Photos
Holmes’ firm, Theranos, additionally tried to diagnose illnesses 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 Road Journal reporter John Carreyrou exposed that its expertise yielded inaccurate readings and trusted third-party expertise 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 hundreds of thousands of {dollars}. She started serving her sentence in Could 2023.
Holmes met Evans in 2017, and the couple now has two kids.
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 realized 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 “basically completely different” strategy from Theranos through the use of lasers to course of blood and different fluids.
“Theranos tried to miniaturize current exams,” Haemanthus wrote on X. “Our strategy is basically completely different. We use mild to learn the whole molecular story in organic fluids, seeing patterns present exams cannot detect.”
3/ Setting the document straight. Elizabeth Holmes has zero involvement in Haemanthus. We have realized 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 staff underneath Evans, The New York Occasions reviews.
Holmes is predicted to be launched from jail on August 16, 2032.
