CONCUR’s Mission for Health Expands to COVID-19 Response
In entrepreneurship and innovation, partnerships and technologies can coalesce in interesting and unexpected ways.
That’s how CONCUR, a startup that delivers a 100-percent organic solution to skin microbiome protection, came to join the scientific fight against COVID-19.
“The core purpose of our brand is health and longevity for ourselves and our loved ones,” said Lindsey Moeller, CEO, and founder of CONCUR.
“We had been working on a prototype for a microbiome diagnostic testing kit when the coronavirus hit,” she said. “We already had contacts with all of the top manufacturers and testing laboratories in the industry,” she said, “so I posed a question: Did we have the ability to use what we had been working on to support testing for COVID-19?”
With a background in molecular genetics, Moeller was able to ask the right questions. She understood the processes for laboratory testing and diagnosis. CONCUR’s microbiome testing kit swabs the skin and sends results to be lab-tested.
The company brings distribution and networking advantages, plus a willingness to battle through the bureaucracy and regulations that come with the territory of FDA approvals. “We are bringing all of the necessary components together—between the diagnostic side, testing, lab ordering, and tracking—to create an end-to-end solution,” Moeller said.
Market Expansion Required Shift, Not Pivot
“It seems a little far-fetched for a skincare company to work on COVID testing, but when you work with microbiome testing, it’s not that big of a shift,” Moeller said. “Our brand is built on enhancing the immune system. We are already working with bacteria and viruses.”
The CONCUR solution will be carried out by its R&D arm and sister company, Botavi Labs. It will be a non-invasive, saliva-based test for COVID-19 to be collected at home—there will be no need to go to a testing center or medical facility. Botavi will work with employers to create the best way to provide tests to employees. Taking a sample will be simple. Put saliva down a little funnel into a vial. Close it. Shake it, and the sample is ready to go. A medium in the vial deactivates the virus and stabilizes the sample for up to three weeks.
Developing a Home Solution that Helps People Feel Safer
“People want to get back to work and feel safe—whether that is in the workplace or at home.
“We are trying to open the door for everyone to get tested. We have a solution to offer employers a way to control and manage COVID testing for their employees,” Moeller said. “Instead of using the honor system with testing, our programs will deliver a process and management tool that allows employers to provide and manage employee tests through a HIPPA-compliant, secure portal where results can be anonymous or known.”
With a 48-hour laboratory turn-around for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, companies can set up periodic tests.
“We see a window of opportunity,” Moeller said, “to provide a testing solution that people need. We all want to get back to business as usual. This is our way to fight back for the safety and liberties that this virus took away.”
As they prepare to launch their COVID-19 testing programs this fall, CONCUR and Botavi Labs would like your help by taking a brief survey. Visit botavilabs.com/covid19-survey for more details.
