819 Capital Partners (819) has acquired Direct Diagnostics from Sanquin Health Solutions (SHS). The acquisition is accompanied by an additional growth investment from 819.
Direct Diagnostics (www.directdiagnostics.nl) utilizes advanced technology to provide actionable recommendations and personalized healthcare solutions. The mission is to empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health, leading to a higher quality of life via preventative diagnostic tests. Direct Diagnostics aims to transform the healthcare system from disease control to disease prevention.
Acquisition addressing the growing interest in preventive diagnostics
With the acquisition, 819 is tapping into the growing interest in home diagnostics among consumers and companies. This trend is driven by high healthcare demand and constrained healthcare supply. Direct Diagnostics is a strong player in this regard, partly due to its wide range of tests, reliability, and ease of use.
Sven Kempers, managing partner at 819: “Sanquin, along with the Direct Diagnostics team, has built a great company with a strong focus on quality. With us, Direct Diagnostics enters a new phase, including internationalization.”
Rogier van den Braak, managing director of Sanquin Health Solutions (SHS), explains that SHS is selling the company to enable further growth: “For SHS, the sale of Direct Diagnostics is logical because the company was ready for the next step. With its entrepreneurship and experience, 819 can realize further expansion.”
Elsemieke Hackenitz, CEO of Direct Diagnostics, confirms Direct Diagnostics’ strong position in the market and sees many opportunities through the acquisition: “I am proud of the team and look forward to the growth and development Direct Diagnostics will undergo in the coming period.”
Increasing consumer demand and regulatory requirements
Direct Diagnostics’ comprehensive proposition provides immediate value to its users. Preventive diagnostics empower consumers to take more control over their health, to improve, protect, or maintain it.
Sven Kempers: “Direct Diagnostics brings a lot of value to customers, including through the product design and usability. Additionally, the product is developed under Sanquin’s high-quality standards, ensuring high reliability in test results.”
Earlier this week, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) concluded that the four major health insurers are not doing enough to grant customers access to healthcare. Insured individuals have a (legal) right to timely, accessible, and high-quality care. Direct Diagnostics aims to contribute to better and accessible healthcare, particularly in primary care.
The shortage of general practitioners is also increasing, leading to waiting times and travel distances for appointments. Direct Diagnostics can support with its extensive range of tests; self-examination allows patients with abnormal values to be seen more quickly by the GP, enabling more targeted follow-up investigations. This is a win-win for our healthcare system.
Investment for further growth
Direct Diagnostics will use 819’s growth investment to further expand the company, including (international) B2C and B2B markets. 819 invests in Direct Diagnostics through its 819 Evergreen Fund I.
