The Top Bio and Health Startups in YC W26
YC’s W26 batch has one of the deepest concentrations of bio and health companies in recent memory. Here are the ones we’re watching most closely ahead of Demo Day.
Are you going to trial stopping Telmisartan temporarily to see the difference in effect?
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Yes, I took 20mg Monday late day and have not had one since.
Today, my Central BP jumped from below range to within normal range.
I’ll take it again tomorrow morning… then I’ll have another 20mg to confirm that is what is making the difference.
What I don’t know is how important or not it is. I hadn’t even heard of it until this week.
Since you have this I would be interested to see what happens when you take it in the morning vs taking it at night before bed. I have a theory that lower blood pressure while you’re in bed is more favorable than during the day.
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Thanks… I’ll play around… I would not have known to experiment.
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It would be good to take notes on energy levels during the day and how restful you felt the sleep was as well.
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Soooo…
I’ve learned something. Most of you might already understand central bp, but when I saw my central bp was ‘below range’, it made me feel I should be extra cautious with Telmisartan and I went off for a few days.
As an aside, this morning, without TM in my system, it went back down to below range again, so yesterday’s being in range was not because the TM left my system.
I just shared all my results with Claude and learned that even though it sounded concerning, below range is actually a good thing (if Claude is correct). @cl-user I guess you already knew this!
Also @AustraliaLongevity Claude agrees with your hunch and said taking TM before bed is ideal. Because my bp is already good, it suggested taking it in the morning for a while just so I’m awake to notice any symptoms of my BP dropping too low, but once I’m sure I can be on it safely, then I can switch.
There are some potential problems with me being on it, but I won’t bore you with those details… I’ll take it for a few days in a row and share all my numbers with Claude again, and then I’ll know if this will stick.
All this is to say the CONNEQT monitor gives nuance that might prove to be helpful that a regular cuff would never cover.
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“All this is to say the CONNEQT monitor gives nuance that might prove to be helpful that a regular cuff would never cover.”
Glad you are getting benefit from the CONNEQT. I find it to be far better than the OMRON Model BP7900 (BP & EKG) that it replaced. It is expensive but my health is worth more.
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Update on company previously mentioned in this thread:
Whoop co-founder has a new startup to analyze poop
Throne started selling its $399 toilet tracker earlier this month. Among the data it collects: how long you’re seated, and how well hydrated you are.
https://www.masslive.com/news/2026/03/whoop-co-founder-has-a-new-startup-to-analyze-poop.html
Company Website:
This isn’t something on my list of tech to buy. I wonder if others are put off by the concept and if so are these products doomed to being flushed down the drain? 
This might be helpful for the elderly living alone…
The Chinese company Unipath has launched a household robot.
I would be very skeptical of these Chinese claims about robot capabilities. The vast majority are fakes of very crude type. Don’t fall for the hype. Remember, fakery in China is extremely widespread, and your default stance should always be resolute skepticism about any such claims.
Millions Watched China’s ‘Advanced Robots’ - We Found the Truth and it’s hilarious - Episode #303 (via The China Show)
After using Orion for about 3 months now I will say I am a happy customer.
It provides me with much more data and features than my Ooler ever did. Data privacy and autonomy seems to be far superior to Eightsleep (see app privacy permissions and how a temporary AWS outage neutered Eightsleep functionality).
You can optionally take a sleep test (and advisor consult) before purchase to help hone initial settings. Otherwise AI will help you make adjustments to improve sleep (via temperature and scheduling) over time.
The team also seems customer focused and agile. I experienced an early issue where the unit was reporting low water when that was not the case. They were able to quickly diagnose the problem and fix it with a software update.
Build quality seems high so I expect the unit to last a long time.
Regarding the subscription model I am under the impression that basic functionality will work without it (following the initial subscription period that is included with purchase). Some of the premium features will likely require a subscription.
Full disclosure: Recently they sent me an email to thank me for being an early adopter and gifted me a free lifetime subscription. This was an unexpected and pleasant surprise.
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@HealthspanMaximalist I’m happy for you!!! Their customer service is incredible!
I wanted to love it because there were so many things about it superior to my Eight Sleep, but the sound was a little too loud for me. It is SUPER comfy!
Due to customer feedback, they got rid of the mandatory subscription, so they gave all the previous owners a free lifetime sub…. Glad you were a beneficiary. They were a class act to address those who bought one vs just changing it for anyone new. If Orion ever came out with one with no sound, I would not hesitate buying it again.
I’m now months deep into being one of the beta testers for Somnus Lab. They are working on a different material because while many people are happy, I find it too warm. I should have a new version to try in about a month. Fortunately for me theirs is silent, so I hope they figure this out.
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Their product page says “Monitor heart rate, HRV, breathing, motion, and snoring—no wearables needed.”
Do you know what technology they use to measure HR, HRV, and breathing? I wasn’t able to find this on their site.
I have no idea what tech they are using. I think most of the cooling beds do this, but I’m not sure if they all do it in the same way. I can ask if you are curious.
Related or not, I think there are pressure sensors.
I want to add, I don’t recommend anyone buy this until they have worked out some of the kinks. There is a lot of potential here, but it’s not ready for prime time. I’ve requested a call with the founder in order to learn more about solutions and the timeline.
Beta is free during the beta trial period.
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