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§ Private Profile · Pleasanton, CA, USA
Sandstone Diagnostics is a technology company.
Sandstone Diagnostics develops in-home diagnostic tools, notably Trak, a male fertility testing system. Trak uses a battery-powered centrifuge with a digital platform to quantify sperm count. Adapted from advanced cell-counting technology, it provides reliable, discreet medical insights to consumers for accessible reproductive health monitoring.
Founded by Greg Sommer, Ulrich Schaff, and Sara Naab, Sandstone Diagnostics emerged from Sandia National Laboratories. Sommer and Schaff leveraged cell-counting technology expertise, seeing its potential beyond biodefense. Their insight identified unmet needs in male fertility testing regarding privacy, convenience, and cost, prompting the company's formation.
Sandstone Diagnostics serves men and couples addressing fertility challenges, offering a private option for initial male fertility assessment at home. The company enables proactive monitoring and improvement of reproductive wellness. Its vision is to redefine men's health and family planning, transforming male fertility into a continuous tracking and improvement tool.
Sandstone Diagnostics has raised $8.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Sandstone Diagnostics has raised $8.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Sandstone Diagnostics has raised $8.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $6.0M Series A in January 2018.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2018 | $6M Series A | Hunt Holdings | Astia, Broadway Angels, DPW Holdings | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2016 | $2M Series U | — | Broadway Angels, Celesta, Element Partners, Fuel Capital, Lightbank, Montage Ventures, Threshold Ventures, Leah Busque | Announced |
Sandstone Diagnostics has raised $8.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Sandstone Diagnostics's investors include Hunt Holdings, Astia, Broadway Angels, DPW Holdings, Celesta, Element Partners, Fuel Capital, Lightbank, Montage Ventures, Threshold Ventures, Leah Busque.
Sandstone Diagnostics is a healthtech startup founded in 2012 as a spin-out from Sandia National Laboratories, developing portable, lightweight centrifuge platforms for rapid point-of-care diagnostic testing.[1][2][3] The company builds products like the FDA-cleared Trak® Male Fertility Testing System and Torq™ technology for zero-delay plasma separation, serving patients, clinicians, and healthcare providers by enabling on-site sample processing of blood, semen, and other fluids.[1][2][3] It solves key problems in traditional lab-based diagnostics—such as delays, sample degradation, high costs, and limited access—by bringing centrifuge technology directly to the point of care, improving sample stability, test accuracy, and decentralization, with reported $500K in trailing twelve-month revenue and applications now available via GSA Schedule for government use.[2][3]
Growth momentum includes expanding distribution for Trak®, advancing plasma separation tech for automated blood prep at collection, and participation in initiatives like Stanford StartX Med COVID-19 Task Force and StartUp Health, positioning it in the burgeoning point-of-care diagnostics market.[2][3]
Sandstone Diagnostics emerged in April 2012 from Sandia National Labs, where government scientists pioneered miniaturized centrifuge technology to apply centrifugal force efficiently with reduced size and power.[1][2][3] Key founders include Greg J. Sommer (Founder & CSO, PhD engineer with 10+ years in diagnostic solutions), Ulrich Y. Schaff (Founder & CTO, lead inventor of core tech, PhD biotech expert), Sara Naab (Founder & Director of Marketing, serial entrepreneur and 2013 Female Entrepreneur of the Year), and Paul Manners (CFO, healthcare finance veteran).[2] The idea stemmed from lab innovations to "bring the centrifuge to the patient," humanizing diagnostics by enabling home or bedside testing; early traction came via FDA clearance for Trak® and pivots to plasma tech amid growing POC demand.[1][2][3]
Sandstone rides the point-of-care diagnostics trend, accelerated by pandemics like COVID-19, where its tech supported Stanford StartX Med Task Force efforts for decentralized testing.[3] Timing aligns with market forces favoring rapid, lab-independent diagnostics—driven by telemedicine growth, supply chain vulnerabilities, and demand for at-home health monitoring amid aging populations and chronic disease rises.[2][3] It influences the ecosystem by enabling "ubiquitous high-quality lab testing," lowering barriers in healthtech for fertility, blood analysis, and beyond, while competing in a medical devices sector projected for expansion via portable biotech spin-outs.[1][4]
Sandstone is poised to scale its centrifuge platforms amid POC diagnostics boom, potentially expanding Trak® distribution, Torq™ government contracts, and new apps like pandemic response or chronic monitoring.[2][3] Trends like AI-enhanced testing and global health equity will shape its path, with influence evolving via partnerships (e.g., StartUp Health) and revenue growth beyond $500K TTM. As a Sandia spin-out miniaturizing core lab tech, it exemplifies how national lab innovations propel accessible healthcare, tying back to its mission of putting "a new spin on healthcare."[1][2]