Fortune tweeted Tuesday about a businesswoman very few people know about. Soon enough you will.
Fortune tweeted Tuesday about a businesswoman very few people know about. Soon enough you will.
Hard to believe someone this bright is flying under the radar, but that’s exactly what the 30-year-old healthcare CEO has done for the past 11 years since founding her company, Theranos, at the tender age of 19.
What does Theranos do? You can read about it here.
In a nutshell the Stanford drop-out has developed a quick, inexpensive fingerprick test that can be administered in Theranos Wellness Centers at Walgreens stores across the U.S. A tiny drop of blood covers a huge range of tests; its fertility test costs $35 compared to as much as $2,000, all of it usually paid for out-of-pocket.
In an interview in Wired magazine, Holmes estimates that if Medicare and Medicaid were to use the company’s tests at Theranos’ prices, they’d save more than $200 billion over the next 10 years.
That’s a company worth investing in.
Unfortunately, it’s privately held with Holmes owning 50% of the common stock. Early investors include Silicon venture capital firms such as Draper Fisher Jurvetson who’ve put $400 million into the business. Currently valued around the $9-billion mark, the partnership with Walgreens should add a few more billion over the next couple of years.
A driven personality whose life is all work and very little play, Holmes might not be the type of person you’d want to spend much time with but she’s definitely someone worth watching in the years to come.
Is an IPO in the offing?
You’d have to think so but nothing this woman does seems boilerplate by nature. Already one of America’s 400 Richest People, it’s hard to imagine she’ll do anything in the future but follow her passion.
However, if Theranos does go public in the future, you’ll probably be wise to get in on the action. She’s that good.
