Calmark was founded by Mathias Karlsson and Sofia Hiort af Ornäs in 2007 and has since its inception focused on neonatal diagnostics. The company's existing solution is based on years of research and industry experience.
The business started with Mathias Karlsson's PhD thesis on oxygen deprivation in newborn babies and the biomarker LDH, before developing into a company focused on patient-close diagnostics.
The company's short-term goal is to produce and sell a rapid test near the patient for the measurement of bilirubin. In the long term, Calmark aims to become the global leader in offering all relevant tests for newborns regardless of where in the world they are born.
Calmark's operations are focused on improving the entire chain of care for patients, saving time and costs in healthcare, and making a big difference in those parts of the world where hospital laboratories are lacking.
Calmark's vision is to become the global leader in PNA diagnostics for newborns and offer all relevant tests in the long term during the baby's first life.
Calmark's mission is to help meet the UN Global Goals for Reducing Infant Mortality. By developing close to patient tests to measure all critical conditions in newborns, we are ensuring that no babies die from preventable causes.
Calmark is based on the experiences I gained during my first job as a qualified doctor at a children's clinic in Stockholm. During my first day as the only doctor in the entire clinic, the emergency alarm from the delivery went off at 04 o'clock. When I go into labour, the staff hold the doors open for me and then you know it's in a hurry. Once in the delivery room, I am met by a large staff, a scared and sad new dad and a small baby who is blue in color and cannot breathe on his own.
It then dawned on me how few objective measurement methods and sensible decision support there are actually developed for the newborn patient.
My research showed that elevated levels of LDH (Lactate Dehydrogenase), an enzyme found in all cells of the body, could indicate critical illness. However, there was no product on the market that could measure this in a patient-friendly and rapid manner. This became the foundation of Calmark, which I founded together with civil engineer Sofia Hiort af Ornäs.
Today, the Company has extensive knowledge about patient-centered diagnostics, product development and the market. Calmark wants to reconcile the qualitative requirements for patient-close diagnostics at home in Sweden with the criteria necessary for patient-close diagnostics to work globally. The company's focus is to start from the child's medical needs and from this create products that offer a complete solution for the first week of a child's life.
