ReMinded, a healthcare startup founded by Annika Lundström, is making strides in transforming mental health care through its innovative approach to stress measurement. The company’s flagship product is a rapid saliva test for cortisol, a key hormone related to stress, offering a more objective way to monitor mental health.
Lundström’s journey into healthcare innovation began in the high-pressure world of competitive sports. As a top-10 table tennis player in Europe and a participant in the 2018 Youth Olympics, Lundström experienced firsthand how stress affects both mental and physical wellbeing. This experience fueled her passion for creating better solutions for stress management, leading to the founding of ReMinded.
“Competing in such high-pressure environments at a young age had a significant impact on my mental and physical health,” Lundström reflects. “It highlighted how crucial mental wellbeing is, not just in sports but in everyday life.”
A graduate in Molecular Biosciences from the University of Helsinki, Lundström began exploring innovations in stress management. Her research revealed a healthcare system still reliant on subjective assessments. Traditional mental health evaluations, which often involve questionnaires and interviews, lack the objectivity needed to track a patient’s progress over time.
In response, ReMinded developed a rapid testing technology that measures cortisol levels through saliva samples using disposable test strips. The process is similar to a rapid COVID test, providing immediate results without the need for lab processing. This technology enables continuous stress monitoring, giving healthcare professionals valuable data to better manage patient care.
ReMinded has found success in addiction healthcare centers and PTSD treatment facilities for veterans, where stress monitoring is critical. Lundström emphasizes the challenges these sectors face with traditional methods: “These facilities typically only perform baseline blood tests when patients are admitted. By offering continuous monitoring, we can collect valuable data over time instead of relying on a single point of measurement.”
Founded in Finland, ReMinded made a pivotal move to San Francisco in 2024, which has significantly accelerated the company’s growth. This relocation led to a successful pre-seed funding round of approximately $500,000 in the summer of 2024. The company is now preparing for clinical trials, partnering with a prominent hospital for trials set to begin in Q2 2025. The rapid cortisol test is expected to be fully integrated into clinical settings by then.
Rather than pursuing direct-to-consumer applications, ReMinded is focusing on institutional partnerships for controlled implementation and validation of its technology. The company is on track to meet regulatory requirements and anticipates FDA approval by summer or fall 2025. In the meantime, it is securing licensing agreements to generate early revenue streams.
ReMinded’s groundbreaking approach has already earned industry recognition. In September 2024, the company took second place at the Wearable Technologies Innovation World Cup Finals, competing against over 600 startups. Lundström also won the ‘Rising Star of the Year’ award at the Nordic Women in Tech Awards in November 2024, further solidifying her leadership in the field.
While the company’s focus is currently on mental health care, the applications of their cortisol testing technology extend far beyond this sector. Potential uses include fertility treatment centers, where stress levels can impact conception, and chronic condition management, where cortisol levels can serve as biomarkers for inflammation and other health markers.
By offering a measurable way to assess stress, ReMinded aims to revolutionize the mental health care landscape, providing healthcare providers with more accurate data to improve patient outcomes and advance the future of wellness.
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