Rapidemic

In 2021, Rapidemic won the Rough Diamond league of the Philips Innovation Award. This achievement marked the beginning of an incredible journey for the company. 

Rapidemic is known for its innovative molecular point-of-case test, which provides fast and accurate diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections. Their technology combines advanced molecular diagnostics with a simple, universal read-out method, making it a game-changer in the healthcare industry. 

Violette Defourt, the CEO of Rapidemic, started the company to improve the experience of STI testing. She noted that the way that STIs are currently diagnosed represents a major burden for patients, but also for healthcare practitioners. The team, consisting of six researchers and entrepreneurs in life sciences, aims to make testing more accessible without compromising accuracy. They aim to break down the barriers to test by bringing diagnostics closer to the patient with tests that combine accuracy with ease of use. 

Since winning the Philips Innovation Award in 2021, Rapidemic has made significant progress. They expanded their research and development efforts, fine-tuning their technology to cover various infectious diseases. In 2022, they won the Sustainable Healthcare Challenge and participated in key conferences like the European Meeting on Molecular Diagnostics. In June 2023, Rapidemic received the Women TechEU grant from the European Union, recognizing their contribution and providing financial support. This grant offers valuable mentoring and coaching services, supporting their growth and innovation. 

Recently, Rapidemic has been selected to join the Venture Lab program and the Women’s Health Initiative at the BioInnovation Institute in Denmark. Rapidemic’s journey from winning the Philips Innovation Award to their current accomplishments demonstrates their dedication to transforming healthcare diagnostics.