Under the direction of Co-Founder and CEO Alex Jiao, Scout is pioneering a transformative approach to home diagnostics, offering rapid, accurate, and affordable tests for a variety of conditions. By merging innovative chemistry with accessible technology, the company aims to redefine how people manage their health—starting in the comfort of their homes.
The journey of Scout began with a friendship and a shared passion for innovation. Alex Jiao and Cam Ball, Scout’s Co-Founder, met in 2010 as PhD students in bioengineering at the University of Washington. Although their research paths differed, their shared interest in advancing healthcare solutions kept them connected.
After years of professional growth—including Jiao founding and selling his own biotech startup—Ball reached out in 2019 with an exciting proposition. “Cam had developed a low-cost, at-home diagnostic technology and was initially focused on STI testing,” Jiao recalled. “As a founder, I was excited to join Cam and help someone start a company.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Scout pivoted to address the immediate global need for at-home testing. This adaptation accelerated their progress and opened the door to broader applications for their platform.
Scout is tackling two major shortcomings in the current diagnostic landscape: accessibility and cost. For conditions like respiratory illnesses and STIs, the standard of care often requires patients to schedule a doctor’s visit, provide samples, and wait days for results. This approach creates significant barriers, including inconvenience, stigma, and delays in care.
“In many cases, people avoid testing altogether because of the inconvenience or stigma associated with it,” Jiao explained. For respiratory conditions, the process often involves urgent care visits, long waits, and the risk of spreading illness. In STI testing, stigma and follow-up issues further hinder care. Jiao noted, “Physicians often see a drop-off where patients never return for treatment.”
Scout’s approach eliminates these barriers, enabling users to test for multiple conditions at home with results in 20–30 minutes. The process is fully integrated into an app that connects users to follow-up care. “Our goal is to establish a new testing paradigm. Instead of driving to a clinic, waiting, and returning for results and treatment, you can test at home and immediately be connected to follow-up care through an app.”
Scout’s platform is built around a small, user-friendly diagnostic device paired with disposable test kits and a mobile app. The device uses a patented chemistry developed by Ball, simplifying the testing process while reducing costs. Unlike traditional cartridge-based systems, Scout’s test kits contain a single-use test tube containing a proprietary reagent pellet.
The company’s technology avoids expensive sensors and complex manufacturing, making it significantly cheaper without sacrificing performance. “We don’t have to manufacture anything too crazy in terms of sensors or microfluidics,” Jiao said.
The app integrates seamlessly with the device, guiding users through each step of the testing process, from sample collection to result interpretation. The app ensures quality control by checking for test expiration and device compatibility. Results are displayed in the app within 20 to 30 minutes.
Scout has made remarkable strides since its inception. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company developed a point-of-care COVID test, securing FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). This achievement validated the core chemistry and laid the groundwork for Scout’s broader diagnostic pipeline.
The company is now advancing two new at-home diagnostic panels: a respiratory panel for flu A, flu B, and COVID-19 and an STI panel for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Both products are funded by high-profile organizations—Flu Lab and CARB-X, respectively—and are expected to enter clinical trials in 2025. “Our COVID data demonstrated excellent performance, and we’re building on that to address these additional conditions,” Jiao shared.
Looking ahead, Scout is preparing for its Series A funding round to support pivotal clinical studies and regulatory submissions. The company is also exploring partnerships to integrate its technology into employer-sponsored health plans and retail channels, ensuring broad accessibility.
The in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) market is the largest medical device market in terms of total product sales. According to LSI’s Market Analysis and Projections (MAP) database, the IVD market will reach an estimated $88.4B in sales by the end of 2024.
Molecular diagnostic solutions—such as the tests under development by Scout—are the second fastest-growing market, trailing only the smaller and rapidly growing market for urinalysis testing solutions. From 2023 to 2028, the global market for molecular diagnostics is projected to increase at a CAGR of 7.9%.
As a whole, the IVD market has yet to fully normalize due to the unprecedented demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. While the explosive growth in sales attributable to rapid and self-testing solutions has cooled, the IVD market has benefitted from the awareness of easy-to-use diagnostics. This, in turn, has fueled the demand for accurate, point-of-care testing solutions for other commonly tested conditions, such as other respiratory diseases and STIs.
Jiao has been selected to present at LSI USA '25 (March 17-21) in Dana Point, CA, and LSI Asia '25 (June 10-13) in Singapore where he will take the stage in front of hundreds of global medical technology companies. Join us in welcoming Jiao where he will share the latest updates on Scout’s technology and development.
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