Leda Health
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Formerly | Me Too Kits |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Healthcare |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Madison Campbell, Liesel Vaidya |
| Headquarters | , US |
| Services |
|
Number of employees | 1–5 (2024) |
| Website | leda |
Leda Health, formerly known as MeToo Kits, is an American company founded in 2019 with offices in New York City[1][2] and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[3] Leda Health aimed at providing early-evidence kits for DNA and other services for sexual assault victims.[4]
Leda Health was founded in 2019 by Madison Campbell and Liesel Vaidya in Brooklyn, New York[5][6] as MeToo Kits and later rebranded as Leda Health after the Greek myth of Leda.[7] Campbell's decision to start Leda Health was driven by her own experience as a survivor of sexual assault, as she sought to help survivors face challenges in collecting evidence.[8] Leda Health developed an "early evidence kit" that would allow sexual assault survivors to collect evidence without the need to visit a hospital or police station.[9] The company introduced an at-home alternative to standard hospital rape kits, allowing assault survivors to collect DNA evidence themselves.[8][10] In 2021, Leda Health expanded its services to include Plan B, STI testing provided in partnership with an external distributor.[8][11]
In 2022, Leda Health was included in the Fortune's Change the World list.[12] As of November 2022, Leda Health raised $9.2 million in venture capital from investors including New York Ventures, Asymmetry Ventures and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center.[4]
In 2023, a significant breakthrough came when a bill was passed in Maryland, acknowledging the existence and potential benefits of self-administered evidence collection kits.[13] However, Leda Health was later accused of misleading consumers and harmful marketing practices for misrepresenting the bill and marketing direct to consumers.[14] In February 2024, the state of Maryland introduced a house bill BH1047 which states that selling, offering for sale, or distributing a certain self-administered sexual assault evidence collection kit is an unfair, abusive or deceptive trade practice.
In October 2023, Campbell announced that Leda Health had opened a second headquarters location in Lawrenceville, one of the largest neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[15] Construction of the new headquarters was expected for completion by November 2023.[16] The company also remained headquartered in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.[1][2][3]