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​The CQ | The First-Ever At-Home Cervical Cancer Screen, Wonder’s Latest Milestone

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Teal Health

Forerunner | @ForerunnerVC

There are so few true “market-firsts” left in the startup world, and Teal Health happens to be an especially ambitious one.

The team just announced their official FDA approval, making Teal Health’s first product (The Teal Wand) the first-ever at-home cervical cancer screen. Today, about 1 in 3 women are behind on their pap smear, and 50% are in counties that don’t have an OBGYN who can perform one. By vastly improving both comfort and convenience through a simple at-home screen, Teal Health is dramatically improving adherence — and thus dramatically improving the quality of care and outcomes. Because sometimes, a better healthcare experience quite literally means better healthcare. We’re proud to have invested at the seed stage alongside Emerson Collective, Serena Ventures, Metrodora Ventures, and others.

The FDA approval this week was met with an overwhelming wave of enthusiasm:

Speaking of the milestones, the unstoppable Wonder team continues to charge forward with their mission of making great food highly accessible in modern, convenient, and delightful formats. They announced they raised a $600M series C at a $7B valuation, illustrating the incredible demand from consumers and restaurants alike for a new approach to quick-service and delivery with excellent, chef-driven meals. Read more in Bloomberg.

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What We’re Talking About on Slack:

  1. Want to start a business? Maybe begin by being a gig worker. A recent study of U.S. tax records from 2012 to 2021 found that 2.5% of gig workers went on to start a new company, compared to just 0.7% of the general working-age population. Businesses founded by gig workers also showed stronger early financial performance, with gross profits 39.4% higher after one year and over 40% higher after two and three years than those of non-gig entrepreneurs. However, these businesses were slightly less likely to survive: 69.4% remained after one year (2.6 percentage points lower) and 45.2% after three years (3.2 points lower). The flexibility and low barriers of gig work may enable more people—especially younger workers, lower-income workers, and those with dependents—to gain experience and capital to launch their own businesses. “Firms started by gig workers appear to be riskier, but do realize higher performance if they survive.”

  2. With teen mental health rates in the U.S. steadily declining, the New York Times spoke to young people to find out what (actually) brings teens joy? What they learned is that many teenagers are seeking out moments of joy through small routines, hobbies, and meaningful connections that offer a sense of control, comfort, and identity—everything from gaining a feeling of accomplishment from coding, watching jellyfish videos to chill out, to going fish to break up life’s “daily loops. ”

  3. The rise of the ‘crunchy teen’ wellness influencer: A growing number of teenage wellness influencers are gaining large online followings by promoting anti-establishment health content, with some echoing conspiracy theories and skepticism toward mainstream science. Influencers like Ava Noe and Alex Siskos have accumulated over 25,000 and 300,000 Instagram followers, respectively, sharing content that questions the safety of common foods and ingredients, and promotes products like fluoride-free toothpaste and “non-toxic” skincare. Along with distrust of traditional institutions, “the teens’ videos, while at times factually questionable, highlight a desire to avoid the chronic illnesses and other conditions that have plagued their elders.”

  4. Gen Z’s hole in the labor market could soon grow. Since the pandemic, U.S. labor-force participation has declined sharply among those over 65 and people in their 20s, reversing long-standing trends. According to a 2024 McKinsey survey, employment among 20-somethings has stagnated despite strong labor demand, with 14% of job seekers ages 18 to 24 citing mental health and 18% reporting access to transportation as barriers. The share of young Americans not in employment, education, or training (NEET) has risen since 2019, and even after excluding those with caregiving duties, a notable number of late-20s adults appear disengaged from work and education. “The causes of the 20-something labor-market pullback are so varied and uncertain that trying to address them directly can seem overwhelming and possibly futile. Unemployment rates rising are for young people in general and recent college graduates in particular—possibly a sign that artificial intelligence is beginning to displace entry-level knowledge workers.”

  5. A global flourishing study finds that young adults, well, aren’t. For decades, research showed that happiness followed a U-shaped curve over a person’s life: high in youth, dipping in midlife, and rising in older age. According to surveys of more than 200,000 people in over 20 countries, the curve is flattening. The study measured not just happiness, but physical and mental health, relationships, character, life meaning, and financial security. In the U.S., the generational gap in flourishing is especially “stark,” with young adults ages 18 to 29 reporting lower levels of happiness and well-being than before, scoring much lower than older adults. A 2023 Harvard report supports these findings, showing that young adults experience double the rates of anxiety and depression as teens. There are several factors at play, including rising perfectionism among college students, decreasing participation in community and religious groups, and growing rates of loneliness.

  6. A great leap forward for American fathers: Since the pandemic, dads have been spending more time with their kids, with fathers of children under 10 providing an additional 1.2 hours of care per week compared to pre-COVID-19. Among millennial dads aged 25 to 44, that increase jumps to 2.5 hours weekly, and for those also caring for older relatives, the increase exceeds 7 hours per week. These findings reveal that fathers are replacing leisure time with caretaking, working fewer hours or remotely, and often multitasking with kids in tow.

  7. Americans are claiming social security early, fearful of its future. Worrying about benefit cuts, administrative instability, and political rhetoric, many Americans are rushing to claim Social Security, often at a long-term financial cost—claiming at age 62 results in up to 76% lower benefits compared to waiting until 70. In March 2025, there were 580,887 Social Security claims pending, up from 500,527 a year earlier. A recent Gallup poll showed over 75% of U.S. adults are worried about Social Security’s future—the highest level of concern in 13 years.

  8. Gen X retirees have regrets over how much they saved—they’re copying Gen Z and turning to side gigs. Over 2 in 5 retired Americans—potentially 20 million—are concerned their nest egg won’t support their ideal retirement. Facing inflation, Social Security worries, and longer life spans, many are turning to Uber driving, substitute teaching, or real estate. In fact, about 60% of retirees say they wish they had a side job.

  9. Gen Alpha is snubbing the careers that boomers dreamed of. As influencers become the new faces of entrepreneurship, they want in. A 2024 survey of kids between 12 and 15 years old found that the top career aspiration is to be a YouTuber (32%), followed by TikTok creator (21%). Rounding out the top five are doctor/nurse (20%), video game developer (19%), and entrepreneur (17%).

  10. They’re on the varsity influencer team: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is helping all 850 of its college athletes become influencers and capitalize on the N.C.A.A.’s recent name, image, and likeness (NIL) rule changes. NIL deals “have grown exponentially in ways that nobody could have imagined or predicted.” The schools don’t get a cut of student-athletes’ brand deals with the likes of Athleta, American Eagle, and Papa John’s, but UNC believes the added earning potential is a smart way to attract top talent. One of the highest paid students at U.N.C. who earned 100,000 last year and majored in advertising and public relations, said she “saw her experience building a TikTok audience as akin to an internship.”

Portfolio Highlights:

Job of the Week:

Head of Brand Partnerships at Faire, the online wholesale marketplace built on the belief that the future is local.

There are ~800 other open jobs at Forerunner portfolio companies, check ‘em out.

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