BetterWay Blood Testing Named SXSW Innovation Awards Finalist in Health & Biotech Category
Babson Diagnostics, a healthcare technology company that puts science at the forefront of its innovations, has been named a finalist for the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) Innovation Awards in the Health & Biotech category. This prestigious recognition highlights BetterWay™ blood testing as one of the most exciting new technologies in the health and biotech sector.
The SXSW Innovation Awards, which are part of the renowned SXSW Festival, celebrate the latest breakthroughs in technology across various fields. These awards recognize the most creative and impactful developments in categories such as health, technology, entertainment, and education. The Health & Biotech category, in particular, focuses on innovative projects that contribute to the advancement of wellness and medicine, making a significant impact on people’s health and quality of life.
To qualify for the Health & Biotech category, a project or product must have become commercially available in the past year. BetterWay™ blood testing, which Babson Diagnostics launched in May 2024, meets this criterion and is now being recognized for its pioneering approach to transforming the blood testing experience.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to show innovators from around the world how we’ve reimagined blood testing to prioritize the customer experience,” said Eric Olson, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Babson Diagnostics. “Every March, SXSW makes Austin the center of the world’s creative energy, and as an Austin-based company, we are especially honored to be recognized.” The company, headquartered in Austin, Texas, is thrilled to have its innovation acknowledged in the company of other cutting-edge technologies from across the globe.
Reimagining Blood Testing for the Modern Consumer
Babson Diagnostics has developed BetterWay™ blood testing to offer a less invasive, more convenient alternative to traditional blood tests. Conventional blood testing requires a phlebotomist to draw blood from a vein in a medical setting, such as a lab or a doctor’s office. This process is often associated with discomfort, time constraints, and logistical challenges. BetterWay™ seeks to alleviate these issues by offering a more consumer-friendly approach to blood collection without compromising the accuracy or efficiency of laboratory analysis.
BetterWay™ is designed to streamline every step of the process, from blood collection to preparation to analysis. By using cutting-edge technology, Babson has created a platform that delivers laboratory-quality blood tests with smaller, more manageable samples, making testing more accessible and less invasive for customers. The company’s innovative solutions enable BetterWay™ to be used in a variety of care settings, including pharmacies, where it can serve as an alternative to traditional medical labs.
The BetterWay™ Ecosystem of Innovations
At the heart of BetterWay™ is a suite of interconnected innovations that together create a seamless, efficient, and user-friendly blood testing experience. These innovations span three key areas: collection, preparation, and analysis.
- Collection: The first breakthrough in BetterWay™ is a novel capillary sample collection device, developed in partnership with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), which enables high-quality blood collection from a fingerstick without the need for a phlebotomist. The device, called the BD MiniDraw™ Capillary Blood Collection System, was granted 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late 2023. This marks a significant milestone in making blood collection more accessible and less invasive.
Additionally, Babson Diagnostics introduced the Babson Hand Warmer, a device that supports the customer’s hand during the collection process. The hand warmer is designed to continuously warm the hand, promoting smoother, more comfortable blood collection.
- Preparation: Once the sample is collected, it needs to be properly prepared for analysis. Babson’s Sample Preparation Device automates several crucial steps of the preparation process, including labeling, mixing, centrifuging, and cold storage. This fully automated system eliminates human error, which is common in manual preparation, ensuring more consistent and accurate results. The device uses Babson’s patented reverse centrifugation technique, which reduces sample waste by an impressive 93%. This process increases efficiency and minimizes the loss of valuable blood samples, making it easier to conduct multiple tests from a single collection.
- Analysis: Babson Diagnostics has developed proprietary miniaturized assays that require 55% less blood compared to traditional blood tests. These assays allow for the analysis of broad test panels, providing comprehensive information with smaller blood samples. To perform the analysis, Babson has established a purpose-built microsample laboratory that is CLIA-certified for high-complexity testing and CAP-accredited, ensuring it meets the highest standards in the laboratory industry. The microsample lab uses high-throughput analyzers, including the Atellica® Solution from Siemens Healthineers. Through an exclusive partnership with Siemens, Babson has the rights to modify this analyzer, optimizing it for their needs.
Together, these innovations enable Babson to offer laboratory-quality blood testing in more accessible locations, such as pharmacies and other non-traditional care settings. BetterWay™ can perform a wide range of tests while significantly reducing the invasiveness and cost of traditional testing.
Expanding Access to Blood Testing
Babson Diagnostics launched BetterWay™ in Austin, Texas, in partnership with the Texas-based grocery store H-E-B, as well as two other retail partners. Since its debut, BetterWay™ has been well received, and the company has plans to expand its availability to other locations and regions in the near future. In addition to retail partnerships, Babson recently announced the expansion of BetterWay™ to healthcare organizations, bringing the blood testing system to health systems and large provider organizations across the nation.
By offering an alternative to traditional blood testing, BetterWay™ is positioned to significantly increase access to essential diagnostic tests, particularly in underserved areas where medical facilities may be sparse or difficult to access. The platform’s expansion into healthcare organizations further broadens its reach, enabling it to serve a wider audience and enhance healthcare accessibility.
SXSW Innovation Awards and Finalist Recognition
The SXSW Innovation Awards ceremony, which will take place on March 10, 2025, will celebrate the most exciting developments in technology across all categories. Finalists in the Health & Biotech category, including Babson Diagnostics, will have the opportunity to demonstrate their innovations during the festival’s final round of judging on March 8. These demos will be open to all SXSW badge holders and attending press, providing a chance for Babson to showcase BetterWay™ to a global audience of innovators, entrepreneurs, and media outlets.
“This recognition as a finalist for the SXSW Innovation Awards affirms the hard work and dedication of our team,” said Olson. “It is an exciting moment for Babson, and we look forward to demonstrating the impact BetterWay™ can have on the future of blood testing.”
In conclusion, BetterWay™ by Babson Diagnostics is a transformative innovation in the field of blood testing. By focusing on customer convenience, accuracy, and accessibility, Babson is reshaping the way people approach health diagnostics. With its groundbreaking technology, BetterWay™ has the potential to improve the healthcare experience for millions of individuals by making blood testing easier, more affordable, and less invasive.
About BetterWay™ blood testing
BetterWay is blood testing reimagined: convenient and affordable fingertip collection at local pharmacies. Available now in Austin, Texas, BetterWay is a customer-first experience, where friendly pharmacy staff collect pea-sized samples from the fingertip instead of vials of blood from the arm. Customers have the choice to self-order or order with a doctor. Fair prices enable everyone to access routine testing with self-pay, and tests are eligible for insurance and FSA/HSA coverage. Samples are transported from the pharmacy to Babson Diagnostics’ clinical laboratory, and customers receive easy-to-understand results in one to two days. For more information, visit betterway.com.
About Babson Diagnostics
Babson Diagnostics is a science-driven healthcare technology company that has reimagined blood testing with the launch of its BetterWay blood testing service. BetterWay’s patient-friendly, fingertip collection process and ability to be administered without phlebotomists improves population health by increasing adherence to testing. BetterWay for Healthcare Organizations enables health systems and other provider organizations to acquire new patients, increase health equity, and reduce the overall cost of care by deploying BetterWay in a broad range of ambulatory care settings, including physician practices, urgent care clinics, and community events. The end-to-end BetterWay solution seamlessly integrates BD’s MiniDraw capillary collection system with proprietary Babson technologies, including its patented hand warming and sample preparation devices. For more information, visit betterway.com/healthcare-organizations
