Billy Evans is stepping into the spotlight with a bold healthtech idea. While his partner Elizabeth Holmes serves time for the Theranos scandal, Evans is launching a diagnostics company of his own—one that’s already raising eyebrows.
His startup, Haemanthus, is operating in stealth mode. But investor materials show it’s aiming to reshape how we think about testing—starting with pets. The company’s tagline speaks of “human health optimization,” and the pitch hints at a future where blood, saliva, and urine tests could be done in seconds.
The name Haemanthus refers to the “blood lily,” a striking flower. But the real attention-grabber is its prototype. It’s a compact device with a screen, a door, and laser components. If you remember Theranos’s miniLab, you’re not alone—investors say the resemblance is hard to ignore.
Evans’s startup claims it can scan biological samples and instantly detect things like glucose, hormones, infections, and even cancer. It uses lasers and AI to make these rapid diagnoses. The plan is to begin with pet diagnostics—an easier regulatory path—and eventually shift toward wearable, stamp-sized versions for human use.
One red flag: the company claims “no regulatory oversight” from the USDA. But that’s murky. The agency hasn’t confirmed any official green light. Evans did share a document suggesting his product might fall outside USDA jurisdiction, though the department says it does regulate many veterinary tests.
Evans, 33, is an heir to a California hotel fortune. He began building Haemanthus over a year ago, quietly assembling a team of 10 people. Many of them previously worked at Luminar, a self-driving car company where Evans spent two years. Public records show the startup is registered in Delaware and operating out of Austin, Texas, where Evans lives with Holmes and their two children.
The company raised $3.5 million from friends and family. Now, it’s looking for $15 million more from investors in Austin and Silicon Valley. The long-term goal? Over $50 million to bring the product to human markets.
Not every investor is sold. Billionaire Michael Dell’s firm declined to back the project. So did Facebook’s early investor, James Breyer. Breyer pointed to the same issues that made him pass on Theranos: lack of scientific proof and unclear clinical value.
Still, Haemanthus is betting big on pet health. And that’s a smart move. The veterinary care industry is booming, especially cancer screening. Private equity firms are consolidating vet clinics, and the sector is seen as recession-proof.
Haemanthus claims to have two dozen advisers, including veterinarians and diagnostics experts. But none are named in the pitch materials. The company does hold one patent, detailing how its device would use lasers and deep learning to analyze samples on a molecular level.
Strikingly, the investor presentation makes no mention of Evans’s relationship with Holmes. There’s no trace of Theranos. No background, no footnotes, no cautionary references.
And maybe that’s the point. Haemanthus wants to be seen as something new. But with a concept so close to a scandal that shook Silicon Valley, that may be a tough story to sell.
