Lia Diagnostics wins first prize at TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin

Amid a flurry of green confetti, Philly-based startup Lia Diagnostics — the makers of a flushable pregnancy test — planted the Philadelphia flag in Berlin: the company won first place at TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin.

The startup beat out 15 other companies at the media outlet’s Startup Battlefield pitch competition, a key component of the two-day conference, and received a check for 42,000 euros (roughly $50,000.)

Backed by Dreamit and Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the startup founded in 2015 by Bethany Edwards and Anna Simpson had announced Monday that it had officially received its 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration, which OK’d its flushable, biodegradable pregnancy test for over-the-counter sale. Lia hopes to start selling its tests online in mid-2018.

Here’s the startup’s winning pitch at the Berlin event: