Salignostics receives $1.87 million Gates Foundation grant for saliva-based HIV and pregnancy tests
Funding to accelerate non-invasive diagnostics aimed at improving access in developing regions.
Salignostics, an Israeli developer of saliva-based diagnostic technologies, has been awarded a $1.87 million grant from the Gates Foundation to accelerate development of non-invasive screening tools targeting HIV and high-risk pregnancy complications in developing countries.
The funding, which will run through 2026-2027, is aimed at advancing a saliva-based diagnostic platform designed to replace traditional blood tests with a simpler, needle-free alternative. According to the company, the tools are expected to be deployed at low cost in regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, aligning with broader global health equity initiatives.
The grant comes as global health agencies continue to confront large-scale unmet medical needs. An estimated 40.8 million people are living with HIV worldwide, with roughly 1.3 million new infections annually, most in developing regions. Salignostics is developing a saliva-based molecular test intended to detect early HIV rebound and monitor viral load in patients on treatment, potentially removing the need for repeated blood draws.
A second focus of the program is maternal health, where the company is developing a saliva-based screening panel for complications that affect an estimated 20 million pregnancies globally. These include preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, amniotic fluid leakage, and risks of preterm birth, conditions that often go undiagnosed in low-resource settings due to limited laboratory infrastructure.
The company argues that saliva-based diagnostics could help address this gap by enabling testing without needles, trained personnel, or specialized equipment. In many developing regions, access to routine maternal screening remains constrained, delaying interventions that can be critical for both maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Beyond clinical applications, Salignostics says the platform is designed for large-scale deployment. It does not require cold-chain logistics and reduces biohazard waste, potentially lowering operational barriers for healthcare systems in remote or under-resourced areas. The company also operates an ISO 13485-certified manufacturing facility with capacity to produce up to one million test units per month.
“This grant is a strategic milestone that underscores the transformative potential of saliva-based screening and monitoring tools,” said Dr. Omer Deutsch, co-founder and CEO of Salignostics. “It reflects a growing recognition that saliva-based testing can fundamentally change how healthcare is delivered, moving from centralized clinical settings to accessible, everyday use.”
Founded in 2017, Salignostics has raised more than $16 million in equity financing and received approximately $6 million in non-dilutive funding. The company’s existing products include Salistick, a saliva-based pregnancy test already sold in markets including the UK, Germany, Australia, and Israel, as well as through white-label partnerships.
