StrandID
Low-cost rapid tests with PCR-level accuracy
StrandID is building a next-generation molecular diagnostic platform that combines the sensitivity of PCR with the speed, cost, and accessibility of lateral flow assays – at approximately $1 COGS. Its STRAND technology achieves a theoretical 10,000x sensitivity improvement over current rapid tests, can be adapted to detect new diseases in under three days, and enables detection before symptoms arise. StrandID is initially targeting a $30 billion diagnostic market across STI testing, global health, and biodefense as multiomics data infrastructure continues to mature for downstream applications.
Minsung Cho is the CEO of StrandID and holds a PhD in Structural Biology from Stanford University. His research spans assay development and molecular diagnostics, and he is the inventor on the patent covering low-cost rapid diagnostics for at-home disease detection. He is joined by co-founders Micah Lawrence, a Stanford PhD in Bioengineering and co-inventor on patent applications for implantable biosensors and transdermal microneedles, and George Walters-Marrah, a Stanford PhD in Biophysics who studies inflammation in the context of disease and is developing equipment-free molecular diagnostic platforms.
