Qurasense

About Qurasense

Qvin, which began its journey as Qurasense, is a health technology firm established in 2014 by Dr. Sara Naseri and Søren Therkelsen. The company’s inception stems from Dr. Naseri’s experiences in medical school, where she identified a critical gap and opportunity in preventative healthcare for women. While studying medicine at Aarhus University and conducting research at institutions like Stanford University, she questioned why menstrual blood, a naturally and regularly available biological sample, was overlooked as a source for health insights. This led to the core mission of Qvin: to challenge the perception of menstrual blood from being a waste product to a valuable, non-invasive source for health monitoring. Dr. Naseri, the company's CEO, brings a deep medical and research background, having focused on women's health and cervical cancer screening technologies. Co-founder and COO, Søren Therkelsen, complements this with operational and entrepreneurial experience, having also co-founded an organization to help Danish startups.

The company operates in the femtech and diagnostic equipment markets, addressing the global population of people who menstruate. Qvin’s business model is centered on providing at-home, non-invasive health screening. Revenue is generated through the sale of its flagship product, the Q-Pad™, which individuals use to collect a sample that is then mailed to Qvin's own CLIA-certified laboratory for analysis. Users receive their results through a HIPAA-compliant mobile application or email, enabling them to track their health conveniently.

Qvin’s key offering is the Q-Pad™ Test System, the first and only FDA-cleared menstrual pad designed for diagnostic purposes. The product functions like a standard sanitary pad but contains a removable blood collection strip (Q-Strip). After use, the individual removes the strip and sends it for laboratory analysis. This system provides a needle-free method to obtain clinically relevant health information. Initially, the FDA clearance is for monitoring Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels to help manage blood sugar in women with diabetes. However, the company's research has shown that menstrual blood can be used to test for a variety of other biomarkers, including those for thyroid health (TSH), fertility (FSH, LH), ovarian reserve (AMH), and HR-HPV for cervical cancer risk screening.

A significant milestone for the company was receiving FDA clearance for the Q-Pad™ in early 2024, a culmination of a decade of research and development. The company is a Y Combinator alumnus (Winter 2016 batch) and has successfully raised capital from various venture firms to support its mission of closing the gender data gap in medical research and making healthcare more accessible.