Revolutionizing STI Testing: Readily Diagnostics Secures €811k for Affordable Solutions

Readily Diagnostics Receives Grant from Gates Foundation for Affordable STI Test Development

Readily Diagnostics, a prominent Swedish point-of-care diagnostics company, has been awarded a grant of approximately €811k (9 million SEK) by the Gates Foundation. The grant aims to support the development of an affordable test for the world’s most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The funding will be utilized for early concept and feasibility work on a point-of-care test that covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. This includes sample preparation, antimicrobial resistance detection, and the creation of a comprehensive product-development roadmap.

“Readily is dedicated to providing accessible molecular diagnostics. A diagnosis should not be dependent on geographical location,” states Liza Löf, CEO of Readily Diagnostics. “This grant from the Gates Foundation allows us to demonstrate that an accurate STI test can be both simple and affordable enough to be used anywhere. This aligns with the core principles of the technology we have developed.”

Readily Diagnostics’ grant comes at a time of diverse funding for decentralized and rapid diagnostics startups in Europe in 2026.

EU-Startups has reported a total of around €34 million in funding across related announcements. This includes €5 million for Paris-based En Carta Diagnostics to advance at-home molecular tests for Lyme disease and STIs, €1.1 million for Germany’s Intu Diagnostics to enhance its lab-free molecular testing platform, and a total of €24 million secured by Dutch startup ShanX Medtech for rapid antimicrobial-susceptibility diagnostics.

In addition, Germany’s NanoStruct raised €2.6 million for rapid bacterial detection, while Stockholm-based Eyedentity in Sweden secured €1.3 million for its AI-powered diagnostics platform.

Background and Mission of Readily Diagnostics

Established in 2022 as a spinoff from Uppsala University, Readily Diagnostics specializes in developing sensitive, specific, and rapid diagnostic testing for infectious diseases. The company’s current project focuses on three infections – chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis – which collectively contribute to hundreds of millions of new cases annually.

In many low- and middle-income countries, individuals are often treated based solely on symptoms due to the unavailability, high cost, or slow nature of accurate testing. This can lead to undiagnosed infections, unnecessary antibiotic use, and continued transmission, posing a risk of increased antibiotic resistance.

Readily is working on a point-of-care platform that delivers molecular diagnostic results near the patient, eliminating the need for centralized laboratories. This platform, based on the padlock-probe technology initially developed for respiratory infections, is now being redirected towards STIs.

The test is designed to operate directly on patient samples, with affordability tailored for primary care, family planning, and HIV-prevention settings where testing access is limited.

Focus on Antibiotic Resistance Detection

The platform will also incorporate the detection of genetic markers of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhea, identified by the World Health Organization as a critical resistance threat. Identifying resistance prior to treatment enables clinicians to select the appropriate antibiotic for each patient, safeguarding the efficacy of existing drugs.

By adhering to the foundation’s global access principles, the project aims to create an affordable and widely accessible product from the outset.