A Chat with Phil Groom, Commercial Director at Diagnostic Testing Company: Bond Digital Health

Bond Digital Health is making rapid diagnostic testing better with data.

We are the only company in the world to have built a digital product specifically for lateral flow devices.

Transform® is a white-label data management platform that allows end-users to capture, aggregate, interrogate and share data from lateral flow tests in real time.

It includes an app, secure and scalable cloud storage and advanced dashboards complete with reports and analytics.

As we’ve been working in lateral flow for more than four years, we’ve developed deep expertise and knowledge of the sector. Our work is digitising an entire industry and helping with global efforts to democratise health testing.
 
 
Lateral Flow Connectivity & Data Capture - Bond Digital Health
 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 
The company was originally founded by business partners Ian Bond and Dave Taylor. Ian found the process of remembering to jot down notes about his chronic condition inaccurate and cumbersome – he knew there had to be a better way. He reached out to Dave who developed a patient self-management solution that automated data capture via an app.

Ian and Dave’s work attracted the attention of major names in lateral flow diagnostics – and the basis for Transform® emerged. Today, Bond is powering lateral flow test providers across the world.

What sets us apart are our rigorous software development standards and culture of quality that we have invested more than three years and £1 million in developing.
 

 

How has the company evolved during the pandemic?

 
The last 15 months have been the most important in the history of the business. Our expertise in lateral flow made us an essential partner for businesses developing rapid tests for Covid-19.

At the outset of the pandemic, we joined a global consortium producing a rapid antigen test, which meant we had to bring forward the development of Transform®.

Over the course of 2020 we received almost £2 million in equity funding and more than £200,000 in government grants, which allowed us to expand the team and speed up our development.

Our first version of Transform is now in-market, digitising and powering this test, and we are currently rolling out Transform® for a major US based lateral flow test developer.
 

What can we hope to see from Bond Digital Health in the future?

 
We’re talking to several test developers who have a need to capture and process thousands of lateral flow test results daily. They have seen Transform® in action and want to power and differentiate their tests. There are some very exciting potential partnerships and integrations lined up, too – so watch this space.

More widely, we’ve been talking about the potential of lateral flow technology for several years, so it’s good to see it finally being realised. It’s a shame it had to take a pandemic to get us here.

Now that more people are aware of the advantages of the technology, there’s a huge opportunity to increase its use in other areas, including lifestyle applications, environmental testing, food and drink and animal health.

We will be at the forefront of the movement to digitise lateral flow testing and to make full use of the valuable data it can collect.