Exclusive: Co-Founded By Former Whoop CTO, Throne Science Raises $10M To Track Gut Health From The Toilet

Throne Science, a startup founded by former Whoop CTO Tim Blumberg and former Whoop co-founder John Capodilupo, has raised $10 million in Series A funding to develop an AI-powered toilet camera that monitors gut health and hydration. Led by Will Ventures, the round also saw participation from Emerson Collective, Workshop, LEAD VC, Salt VC, Accomplice, Moxxie Ventures, and several other investors. The total funding for Throne now stands at nearly $18 million since its inception in 2023.

The company's mission resonates with Capodilupo, who suffers from ulcerative colitis. CEO Scott Hickle stated, "We started Throne because we believe it's inevitable that people will one day measure their health from their waste." Throne's technology utilizes computer vision analysis to transform raw camera data into health metrics, employing a pipeline of dozen computer vision models, some trained by practicing gastroenterologists.

Earlier this month, Throne unveiled a beta version of its Gut Health AI coach, an LLM-powered conversational AI that asks users about their data post incidents of poor gut health. The tool aims to identify patterns associated with good and bad gut health days, and connect the dots between lifestyle, diet, and gut health. As the member completes more journal entries, the AI aims to reveal insights, according to Hickle.

Capodilupo emphasized the importance of longitudinal data, stating, "Gut health is even more underserved. There's essentially no dense longitudinal dataset on human GI function." Throne targets consumers, clinicians, and researchers, aiming to build an at-home system that could potentially identify early signs of colorectal cancer, akin to a "smoke detector for colon cancer."

The company is in talks with researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Chicago for validation studies. Throne's long-term vision includes building an at-home system capable of detecting colorectal, bladder, and kidney cancers. The startup is also exploring partnerships with functional-medicine practitioners and academic and pharmaceutical research entities.