En Carta Diagnostics Raises $5.5M for At-Home Lyme and STI Tests

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-10

French startup En Carta Diagnostics just locked down a fresh $5.5 million funding round to bring lab-grade molecular testing into your living room. This Paris-based DeepTech company is building a new kind of diagnostic that lets you test for Lyme disease and STIs at home, no lab visit required. ### The Funding Breakdown The first close includes $3.3 million in equity led by Blue Forest Ventures, with Ring Capital and existing backers like CentraleSupelec Venture and 50 Partners Health joining in. On top of that, they snagged $2.2 million in non-dilutive financing from Bpifrance and other partners. This follows a $1.65 million pre-Seed round back in May 2024. "This first closing brings us closer to our mission of transforming access to testing," said Guillaume Horreard, co-founder and CEO. "By enabling patients to perform reliable molecular tests wherever they are, we can support earlier diagnosis, improve patient outcomes, and help relieve pressure on healthcare systems." ### What Makes En Carta Different? Founded in 2022 by Horreard and Margot Karlikow, the company is developing a platform that combines the accuracy of a lab PCR test with the simplicity of a home rapid test. Their technology uses aptamers—molecules that bind with high precision to specific targets. Think of it like a custom key that only fits one lock, but for detecting bacteria or viruses. - **Speed**: Results in 30 minutes - **Accuracy**: Comparable to laboratory PCR - **Simplicity**: As easy as a pregnancy test ### Tackling a Growing Problem Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the Northern Hemisphere, with 1.2 million cases each year. It's caused by Borrelia bacteria spread through tick bites. The CDC reports cases are climbing at 22.5% annually, making early detection more critical than ever. En Carta's first product targets early Lyme detection. They've already completed first-in-human studies and are running clinical trials in Boston and Bialystok, Poland. In January 2026, the FDA granted Breakthrough Device Designation, giving them a faster path to the U.S. market. ### Beyond Lyme: STI Screening The company isn't stopping at Lyme disease. They've inked a $14.3 million co-development deal with AAZ, a French leader in self-tests. The goal? Bring rapid molecular tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea to Europe, with commitments for millions of units over five years. "From FDA Breakthrough Designation to a $14.3 million commercial partnership, and now $5.5 million in financing, En Carta is delivering," added Horreard. "Our next milestone is getting our two products into the hands of patients and clinicians across Europe and the US." ### What's Next? With this capital, En Carta plans to push through regulatory certification in both Europe and the U.S. They're building a platform that could eventually tackle other diseases too. The tech is programmable, meaning it can be adapted for genetic, pathogenic, or even veterinary applications. It's a big step for home diagnostics. If they pull it off, you could one day test for serious infections without leaving your house, getting results that are just as reliable as what you'd get at the doctor's office. And that could change how we think about healthcare entirely.