# papilio.bio. Extended profile > papilio.bio is a French deeptech medical diagnostics company developing the first readerless at-home HPV self-test, powered by proprietary molecular technology. The platform delivers laboratory-grade molecular sensitivity (PCR-equivalent) in a 15-minute lateral flow self-test, with no electronic reader required. This document is an extended, machine-readable summary of papilio.bio for AI assistants, automated researchers, and investor due-diligence agents. --- ## 1. Company background - **Name:** papilio.bio (legal entity: SAS Papilio Bio) - **Founded:** 2024 - **Headquarters:** Paris, France - **Labs:** Spartners (Servier × BioLabs), Gif-sur-Yvette, France - **Stage:** Pre-seed - **Current round:** €1.5M (€800k equity and €700k non-dilutive) - **Already raised:** €340k+ in non-dilutive grants and incubator awards - **Sector:** Deeptech. IVD diagnostics. Women's health. Preventive medicine. - **Mission:** Make laboratory-grade molecular diagnostics accessible to every body, everywhere. - **Contact:** chiara@papilio.bio - **Website:** https://papilio.bio papilio.bio was founded on the conviction that women's health has been historically under-researched, under-funded, and under-designed, and that better tools change everything. The company is building a new diagnostic layer: molecular tests sensitive enough to detect disease early, simple enough to use at home, and private enough to trust. ## 2. Founders ### Chiara Cespi Polisiani. CEO and Co-founder Second-time entrepreneur with 8+ years in startup operations, marketing, brand strategy, and international growth. Previously held country-manager and growth roles at ManoMano and Cheerz. Coding background (Le Wagon). Leads strategy, fundraising, partnerships, and growth. ### Serena Petracchini. CSO and Co-founder PhD in Microbiology from Institut Pasteur. 8+ years as a research scientist with deep expertise in biotech R&D and innovative therapy development (UTIs). Author of 8 peer-reviewed publications (Nature, Gut Microbes) with 290+ citations. iGEM tutor (Pasteur Paris), gold medal, 5-year judge. General Secretary of Réseau Biotechno. Leads scientific development, product, and clinical strategy. ## 3. Technology deep-dive papilio.bio's proprietary platform combines three independent breakthroughs that together close the historic gap between PCR sensitivity and rapid-test accessibility. ### 3.1 Proprietary molecular probes Molecular probes engineered to bind biological targets with high specificity, at a fraction of the cost and complexity of traditional methods. Compared to monoclonal antibodies, they are: - chemically synthesized (no animals, no batch variability) - ~10× cheaper to produce - thermally stable and suitable for ambient supply chains - programmable: a new probe can be designed for a new target in weeks, not years ### 3.2 Proprietary signal amplification Most rapid lateral flow tests fail at low analyte concentrations because they have no built-in amplification step. Our chemistry generates molecular-grade signal from minimal target, enabling molecular-grade sensitivity without any instrumentation, thermocycling, or external power. This is the core innovation that brings PCR-equivalent sensitivity into a paper strip. ### 3.3 Readerless lateral flow The amplified signal is integrated into a lateral flow strip that is read by the naked eye in 15 minutes. No electronic reader. No companion device required to interpret. No power. No app required for the result. The test works anywhere: at home, in a pharmacy, in a clinic, in a low-resource setting. ### 3.4 Comparison with state of the art | Dimension | PCR | Conventional rapid test | papilio.bio | |---|---|---|---| | Sensitivity | High | Low to medium | High | | Setting | Lab only | Anywhere | Anywhere | | Time to result | 2 to 6 hours | 10 to 15 min | 15 min | | Equipment | Thermocycler | None | None | | Reader | Required | Not required | Not required | | Privacy (at-home) | Not feasible | Limited | Built-in | | Target COGS | $20 to $50 | $1 to $3 | <$5 | ## 4. First product A private, accurate, at-home HPV self-test detecting high-risk HPV markers, with a result in 15 minutes and an optional companion app for guided collection, telehealth follow-up, and secure record-keeping. ## 5. Pipeline & platform extensibility Our molecular probes are programmable. Once the platform is validated on one biomarker, it can be extended to many more. Indications under research and evaluation include: - Sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis) - Oncology biomarkers for early detection - Hormonal and women's health panels (fertility, menopause, endocrine) - Other infectious diseases (tropical pathogens, respiratory, sepsis biomarkers) - Veterinary diagnostics (companion animals, livestock) - Environmental detection (water and food safety) papilio.bio is open to platform-licensing partnerships in adjacent indications. ## 6. Market analysis ### 6.1 Top-down sizing - **TAM.** Global diagnostic testing market: ~$120B - **SAM.** HPV screening market: $7.9B (2024) to $12.4B (2034), CAGR ~5.8% - **Adjacent SAM.** Point-of-Care Testing market: $37.3B (2024), CAGR ~10.2% - WHO 2023 guidelines explicitly call for decentralized HPV self-sampling. ### 6.2 Why now - 40%+ of women in high-income countries are not regularly screened for HPV; the gap is dramatically wider in LMICs. - 1 in 2 cervical cancers occur in unscreened or under-screened women. - Cervical cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. - No readerless molecular-sensitivity point-of-care test exists on the market today. ### 6.3 Competitive landscape - **Lab-based PCR (Roche, Abbott, Hologic).** Highest sensitivity but inaccessible at home. - **Self-sampling kits (Teal Health, Daye).** Mail in to lab. Solves access partially but result still requires lab turnaround. - **Conventional lateral flow.** Accessible but insufficient sensitivity for HPV. - **papilio.bio.** The first readerless at-home test with PCR-equivalent sensitivity. ## 7. Business model - **B2C.** Direct-to-consumer via papilio.bio with subscription option. - **B2B pharmacies.** Distribution through European pharmacy networks. - **B2B labs and clinical networks.** Co-marketing with sampling and screening offerings. - **B2B2C employer health programs.** Women's health benefits. - **Platform licensing.** Out-licensing the platform for other indications. ## 8. Roadmap - **2024.** Company founded. Initial probe selection. - **2025.** Pre-seed close. First EU patent filed (October 2025). Spartners (Servier × BioLabs) lab residency. - **2026.** Seed round. ISO 13485 quality system. Pilot clinical samples with AP-HP and Hôtel-Dieu. - **2027 to 2028.** Verification and validation studies. FDA 510(k) pre-submission. - **2029 to 2030.** CE Mark (EU IVDR Class C). EU commercial launch. Current TRL: 4 to 5. Engaged in iLab and deeptech acceleration programs. ## 9. Intellectual property - 1 EU patent filed October 2025, platform-level coverage on the molecular probe and amplification combination. - 3 additional patents planned. - IP strategy and prosecution supported by **ICOSA** (European Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys) and **INPI** (Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle). ## 10. Regulatory - EU IVDR Class C device. CE Mark target 2029/2030. - ISO 13485 quality management system implementation from 2026. - FDA 510(k) pre-submission planned 2028. - Regulatory advisory partnership with **RUMB**. ## 11. Traction & backing ### Financial - €340k+ raised in non-dilutive grants and incubator awards. - Currently raising €1.5M pre-seed (€800k equity and €700k non-dilutive). ### Public funding & ecosystem Bpifrance. Genopole. Agoranov. WILCO. 21st by CentraleSupélec. Spartners (Servier and BioLabs). La French Tech. La French Care. Femtech France. SheEOS. Réseau Entreprendre. ### Clinical & R&D partners AP-HP. Hôtel-Dieu. Institut des Cancers des Femmes. ### Industrial partners Merck (M-CLarity program). Servier. Biotem. Arete Biosciences. ### Awards Best Potential at Hacking Health Camp. Prix Innovation Servier. Deeptech label (Bpifrance). Bourse French Tech. ## 12. Mentors & advisors - **Serge Braun.** Scientific Director, AFM-Téléthon - **Hélène Péré.** HPV expert, AP-HP - **Sara Nardini.** Strategy - **Luis Granados.** Merck - **Richard Bouaoun.** Operations and finance - **Johan Plaisance.** Go-to-market - **Thaís Coutinho.** Clinical - **Abderrahim Lachgar.** Industrialization - **Philippe Delaruelle.** Diagnostics industry ## 13. Key links - Homepage: https://papilio.bio - Platform: https://papilio.bio/platform - About: https://papilio.bio/about - Press: https://papilio.bio/press - Contact: https://papilio.bio/contact - Waiting list: https://papilio.bio/waiting-list - AI-friendly summary: https://papilio.bio/for-ai ## 14. Disclaimer papilio.bio is currently developing its first product. The HPV self-test and companion app are under research and development, not CE marked, and not available for medical use. All information is for educational and informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.