Meet Omixy, a stealth startup that has been working on improving the medical check-up in Europe. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel like Theranos. Instead, Omixy is all about making it as seamless as possible to track your health over time.
The startup just raised $1.5 million from SGH Capital with the help of TheFamily. It plans to launch during the second quarter of 2016 in London.
When you sign up to Omixy, a nurse comes to your home for sample collection. These tests are all about combining whole genome sequencing with medical expertise. Like 23andme in the U.S., Omixy wants to make it much easier to access genetic testing.
The startup also combines genomics with metabolomics and the microbiome. Many doctors shy away from these diagnostic methods, which is another reason why Omixy exists. If you want to learn more about Omixy’s methodology, head over to the company’s website.
Yet, Omixy also adds a medical layer on top of its tests, making sure that you will get a medical interpretation by a doctor and not just some test results. Among others, there are a doctor and biologist in the team behind Omixy. In fact, if something is wrong and you need more tests, the startup will put you in touch with a network of well-established partners.
There are a few reasons why you would use a startup like Omixy. First, making appointments with a doctor is a pain. You need to find the right doctor, then you need to find some time, go there, waste your time in the waiting room and more. When it involves sample testing, you need to go to a lab and go back to your doctor. Omixy lets you get a check-up every year as it’s much easier.
Second, it’s a good way to catch a disease as quickly as possible. But Omixy will also help you live a healthier life by giving you advice based on your check-up.
Eventually as new check-up tools appear, Omixy wants to act as an API between diagnostics tech providers and end users. This is no small feat, but getting a comprehensive check-up deserves to be easier.
We’re still months away from a public launch, but I can’t wait to see whether this marketplace approach with a value-added layer can work. Going the extra mile and providing feedback from actual doctors makes the service more difficult to launch, but it also makes it more interesting.