Billy Evans' Blood Testing Company Loses CTO
Joseph LaChapelle, the former Chief Technology Officer of Haemanthus, a blood testing startup operated by Billy Evans, partner of Elizabeth Holmes, left the company in March.
LaChapelle stated in an email that he resigned due to a conflict of interest with a secret startup he previously founded. His name appears on some of the company's patents.
Haemanthus develops blood, urine, and saliva testing devices based on Raman spectroscopy, initially targeting pets before expanding to humans. The company has raised approximately $20 million, primarily from friends, family, and investors.
The company publicly denies that Holmes has a formal role and claims its technology path differs from Theranos. Holmes is currently serving a sentence in Texas, and reports have mentioned her providing informal advice.
Evans is an MIT economics graduate and previously worked at Luminar Technologies. The company was officially registered in 2024 and currently has no publicly available products.
In terms of market mechanisms, early funding mainly comes from personal networks. Beneficiaries are Evans and the remaining technical team, while those under pressure are the key patent inventors relying on development progress.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
Billy Evans founded Haemanthus during Holmes' imprisonment, focusing on Raman spectroscopy testing. Joseph LaChapelle served as CTO and was involved in patents, later resigning due to his own secret project.
In terms of capital, funding comes from friends, family, and investors in Austin and the Bay Area. The company remains secretive, has not released products, and patents are the main public vehicle for technology claims.
This is similar to other startups re-entering the same field under the shadow of previous failures. It is currently in the stage of technology validation and personnel stabilization.
Essentially, it belongs to the reconstruction of the industrial chain. It shifts from miniaturized existing tests to optical biomarker reading, while personnel changes affect technological continuity.
ABAB News · Cognitive Laws
Key inventor's departure alters technological continuity
Funding supported by personal networks aids early validation
Previous failures raise entry barriers