Diamens raises six-figure pre-seed round to develop menstrual blood test for endometriosis
The Austrian startup is developing a non-invasive diagnostic designed to detect endometriosis using menstrual blood.
An Austrian healthtech startup developing a non-invasive diagnostic test for endometriosis using menstrual blood has raised a six-figure pre-seed funding round to advance clinical validation and regulatory certification of a tool designed to help detect the disease earlier.
Diamens, based in Linz, said the round was led by eQventure, with additional backing from VP Venture Partners, FS Life Science Investment and VGW Beteiligungs GmbH.
The funding will support further clinical validation and European certification of what the company says could become the first molecular diagnostic test for endometriosis based on menstrual blood.
Diamens’ approach focuses on analysing biomarkers in menstrual blood, which may be particularly relevant for endometriosis research because it contains cells and biological material from the uterine lining — the same tissue involved in the disease.
“Menstrual blood is a molecular fingerprint of the uterus—yet its diagnostic potential has been completely overlooked in modern diagnostics,” said Clara Ganhör, co-founder and chief operating officer of Diamens.
A new approach to endometriosis detection
Endometriosis affects nearly 190 million women worldwide and occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body, often causing chronic pain, inflammation and infertility. Yet diagnosing the condition remains difficult.
On average, patients face a seven-year or more journey before receiving a confirmed diagnosis, often experiencing repeated misdiagnoses along the way. Today, the diagnostic gold standard remains laparoscopy - an invasive surgical procedure performed under general anaesthesia.
Several companies and research groups are exploring non-invasive diagnostics for endometriosis, including blood- and saliva-based biomarker tests. However, many approaches still require clinical visits and can cost hundreds or even thousands of euros, leaving significant demand for simpler and more affordable screening options.
Diamens’ approach involves patients collecting a small sample of menstrual blood at home during their period, which is then analysed in a laboratory using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing - a method that proved itself many millions of times over during the COVID pandemic. The startup says it has developed a computational method to analyse biological data and identify molecular markers associated with endometriosis in these menstrual blood samples.
If validated in clinical trials, the test could offer a non-invasive way to help detect endometriosis earlier and direct patients toward appropriate treatment without the need for surgery.
Redefining the gold standard
Investors backing the company say the technology addresses a significant gap in women’s healthcare.
“Diamens is addressing an urgent need: a scientifically outstanding team is tackling a major gap in healthcare with a highly scalable solution,” said Bernhard Ungerböck, partner at eQventure.
“The combination of urgent medical relevance, technical sophistication, and market potential is exactly what we are looking for. We are convinced that this test will redefine the gold standard in gynecology.”
The company says the newly secured investment, together with public funding from programmes such as the Austrian FFG Basisprogramm, will support an ongoing multicentre clinical study.
“In our ongoing multicenter study, we’re already seeing consistent positive feedback around sample collection and shipping,” said Marlene Rezk-Füreder, Diamens’ chief executive and co-founder.
“The time has come to make women’s health radically accessible and data-driven.”
Diamens was founded in 2024 by a team of scientists and clinicians including Rezk-Füreder, Eva Scharnagl, Clara Ganhör and Angelika Lackner, with endometriosis specialist Prof Peter Oppelt serving as clinical lead.
Interest in menstrual blood as a diagnostic source has been growing in recent years, with researchers and startups investigating whether it could provide insights into conditions such as endometriosis, fertility disorders and hormonal health. FutureFemHealth recently explored this emerging field in a deep dive on menstrual blood diagnostics.
You might also like…