Leda Health
American company
Leda Health
FormerlyMe Too Kits
Company typePrivate
IndustryHealthcare
Founded2019; 7 years ago (2019)
FoundersMadison Campbell, Liesel Vaidya
Headquarters
Brooklyn, NY and Pittsburgh, PA
,
US
Services
  • Early evidence kit
Number of employees
1–5 (2024)
Websiteleda.co

Leda Health, formerly known as MeToo Kits, is an American company founded in 2019 with offices in New York City[1][2] and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[3] Leda Health aimed at providing early-evidence kits for DNA and other services for sexual assault victims.[4]

History

Leda Health was founded in 2019 by Madison Campbell and Liesel Vaidya in Brooklyn, New York[5][6] as MeToo Kits and later rebranded as Leda Health after the Greek myth of Leda.[7] Campbell's decision to start Leda Health was driven by her own experience as a survivor of sexual assault, as she sought to help survivors face challenges in collecting evidence.[8] Leda Health developed an "early evidence kit" that would allow sexual assault survivors to collect evidence without the need to visit a hospital or police station.[9] The company introduced an at-home alternative to standard hospital rape kits, allowing assault survivors to collect DNA evidence themselves.[8][10] In 2021, Leda Health expanded its services to include Plan B, STI testing provided in partnership with an external distributor.[8][11]

In 2022, Leda Health was included in the Fortune's Change the World list.[12] As of November 2022, Leda Health raised $9.2 million in venture capital from investors including New York Ventures, Asymmetry Ventures and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center.[4]

In 2023, a significant breakthrough came when a bill was passed in Maryland, acknowledging the existence and potential benefits of self-administered evidence collection kits.[13] However, Leda Health was later accused of misleading consumers and harmful marketing practices for misrepresenting the bill and marketing direct to consumers.[14] In February 2024, the state of Maryland introduced a house bill BH1047 which states that selling, offering for sale, or distributing a certain self-administered sexual assault evidence collection kit is an unfair, abusive or deceptive trade practice.

In October 2023, Campbell announced that Leda Health had opened a second headquarters location in Lawrenceville, one of the largest neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[15] Construction of the new headquarters was expected for completion by November 2023.[16] The company also remained headquartered in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.[1][2][3]

Regulatory action

Leda Health's kit faced criticism over potential evidence contamination and possible inadmissibility in court.[17][18] Over these concerns, the kits were banned in Washington and cease and desist letters in several other states were sent to the company asking to stop selling their kits.[19][20][21][22]

In October 2025, a settlement with the Pennsylvania Attorney General said Leda Health must provide a written warning to consumers that its products do not meet the same standards as hospital-based evidence collection services.[23][24]

References

  1. ^ a b "Contact Leda Health". www.leda.co. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  2. ^ a b "Leda Health - Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, Headquarters Locations". www.cbinsights.com. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  3. ^ a b Like, TribLive TribLive Share Copy Link Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Send SMS WhatsApp Reddit. "Leda Health, a Pittsburgh company that makes at-home rape kits, settles false claims lawsuit". community.triblive.com. Retrieved 2025-12-29. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ a b Farivar, Cyrus. "A DIY Rape Kit Startup Has Been Accused Of 'Deceptive' Practices By Washington Attorney General". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  5. ^ ""We Help Survivors of Sexual Assaults" – Interview with "Leda Health" co-founders". KyivPost. 2022-12-02.
  6. ^ "The Leda Story". Archived from the original on 2021-09-11. Retrieved 2021-09-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ "Inside the hard business of selling DIY rape kits". Quartz. 2021-05-21. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  8. ^ a b c "'Call Me a Scammer to My Face'". The Cut. 2023-02-23. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  9. ^ Williamson, Alex (2019-09-05). "DIY rape kit startup's 23-year-old founder says she is a sexual assault survivor". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  10. ^ "Forensic Science Institute Partners with Leda Health to Explore Feasibility of Early Evidence Sexual Assault Kits". College of Arts & Sciences at Syracuse University. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  11. ^ Staff Reports (2021-08-18). "Leda Health offers fast, discreet DNA collection kits to sexual assault survivors". Florida Politics. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  12. ^ "Leda Health". Fortune. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  13. ^ "Maryland creating new guidelines for storage of sexual assault evidence". Yahoo News. 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  14. ^ Lilly, Shannon (2023-11-11). "Maryland AG warns of misleading claims by at-home rape kit manufacturers as recommendation deadline looms". WBFF. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  15. ^ Heyl, Eric (October 24, 2023). "Miss Pittsburgh's Tech Company Aids Sexual Assault Victims". Patch.com.
  16. ^ Ritenbaugh, Stephanie (2023-10-24). "Tech startup for sexual assault survivors moves to Lawrenceville". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  17. ^ Burbank, Megan. "Washington state considers banning over-the-counter rape kits | Crosscut". crosscut.com. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  18. ^ "Utah lawmaker seeks ban of at-home rape kits, saying they provide false hope". Deseret News. 2021-01-24. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  19. ^ Cabahug, Jadenne Radoc (2023-02-14). "WA Legislature considers ban on at-home sexual assault evidence kits". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  20. ^ Nashrulla, Tasneem (2019-09-12). "The 23-Year-Old "MeToo" DIY Rape Kit Founder Says She'll Fight Law Enforcement's Demands That She Stop Advertising". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  21. ^ "Attorney General Dana Nessel, ordered MeToo Kit to cease and desist" (PDF).
  22. ^ Shamus, Kristen Jordan. "MeToo Kit CEO says Mich. AG has it all wrong. She didn't want to profit from rape victims". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  23. ^ Like, TribLive TribLive Share Copy Link Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Send SMS WhatsApp Reddit. "Leda Health, a Pittsburgh company that makes at-home rape kits, settles false claims lawsuit". community.triblive.com. Retrieved 2025-12-29. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  24. ^ "AG Sunday Secures Agreement with Leda Health Regarding Misinformation on At-Home Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits". Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  • Official website
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