Travis Rush grew up in the tiny seaside town of Gold Beach in Southern Oregon. With a population of only 1,576 — as was proudly proclaimed on the sign coming into town — healthcare resources there were limited. The nearest medical lab was over an hour a way.
Rush is now CEO and co-founder of Reperio Health, a Portland, Ore.-based startup providing in-home health screenings, essentially bringing basic lab services to people in small communities like Gold Beach and in major metros alike.
Reperio recently raised $14 million in new funding to expand its growth and services.
The startup offers kits delivered by mail that include tests for blood pressure and heart rate; a scale and tape measure for determining body mass index; and devices for blood tests that generate instant data for cholesterol, triglycerides, lipids and glucose levels.
An app walks users through the tests and the results are uploaded directly from the devices via a Bluetooth connection.
Users then return the kit by mail. The devices are sterilized for reuse.
“We have people from 18-years old all the way up to 80-years old that have done screenings with our kits because we’ve made it super easy for them to do,” Rush said.
Reperio initially targeted consumers as its customers, but quickly shifted its focus to companies seeking wellness support for employees. The startup is additionally working with hospital networks, providing a solution for patients who don’t have a nearby lab or face challenges visiting a facility, and life-insurance providers. The company is also in conversations with systems supporting Medicaid clients.
Rush said they’ve shipped thousands of kits nationwide and that more than 90% of recipients are completing the screenings.
A single screening costs $129 for consumers, but the costs come down for contracts with employers, healthcare providers and others. Depending on the volume, the price can drop to $75 per use.
Reperio is looking to speed up testing, and has signed an agreement with Uber to deliver a kit to a person’s home within an hour of ordering it. Distribution hubs for the kits will be located in metro areas. More remote customers will still access the kits by mail.
Reperio is also developing a service that will include a consultation with a nurse practitioner as soon as the test is completed in order to facilitate follow-up actions. The visits will incorporate artificial intelligence to analyze the test results and suggest treatment plans the providers may want to recommend. The goal, Rush said, is to remove as many hurdles as possible to getting care.
The company has raised a total of $20 million, and is looking to raise an additional $10 million or more to support this broader mission. It’s also talking to manufacturers of other biometric devices to eventually expand the suite of tests provided. Reperio has 24 employees.
Rush launched the company in 2020 with his co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Matt Wallington. The two worked together at Sightbox, a company that Rush launched in 2015 offering a subscription plan for eye exams and contact lens fittings and supplies. Johnson & Johnson acquired the startup in 2017 for an undisclosed sum.
The latest funding includes investors from the company’s 2021 seed round: Nashville’s Caduceus Capital Partners; Oregon’s Rogue Venture Partners and Portland Seed Fund; and Liquid 2 Ventures in San Francisco. Angel investors also participated in the round.
Other at-home health testing companies competing in the space include Tasso, a Seattle company that offers blood tests for patients in clinical trials, as well as Everlywell, Vida Health, and others.
