Tasso, a Seattle-based startup that is developing an at-home blood sample collection device, announced Tuesday it has raised $6.1 million from investors. The new money will support its effort to launch sales of the device, Tasso OnDemand, in the coming months, and to add staff, Tasso says.
Vertical Venture Partners, a Silicon Valley-based investment fund, led the funding round, Tasso says. Other participants included Techstars and Cedars-Sinai, a Los Angeles-based network of hospitals and clinics; the two organizations run an accelerator program for healthcare-focused startups, which Tasso participated in two years ago.
Tasso’s vision involves having patients self-collect blood samples using the company’s device, rather than going to a clinic to have a phlebotomist draw their blood. Tasso’s funding announcement didn’t mention whether it’s seeking FDA clearance to begin marketing the device in the U.S. We’ve reached out to the company for comment.