Throne, an innovative health startup based in Austin, has created a unique camera that attaches to the side of a toilet bowl. This device takes pictures of your waste and by leveraging artificial intelligence, it analyzes your feces to offer insights into your gut health and hydration levels.
Throne refers to its technology as “artificial gut intelligence.” Developed with the guidance of physicians, this AI helps users interpret what their waste can indicate about their health. The doctors involved look for various health markers in the waste, including subtle differences in urine to assess hydration levels.
Throne ensures that all images captured are “anonymized.” In light of privacy and security concerns surrounding the toilet camera, the company has implemented measures to address these issues.
In response to TechCrunch’s inquiry, Throne provided a “privacy and security” page that details its protocols. A major concern is the specifics of what Throne records and how these images are utilized. The camera is engineered to focus exclusively on the toilet bowl’s contents.
“We only capture images of the contents of your toilet bowl,” Throne emphasizes. “Any other data is irrelevant to our mission and could compromise our ability to deliver accurate health insights. We utilize image recognition technology to automatically delete any unrelated images, ensuring that only toilet-related data is kept.”
Users have the option to request full access to their data, allowing them to see the type of information Throne collects. The company also pledges to delete all data upon request, with all information encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher on its servers.
“We do not access individual data,” Throne adds. “Our team only analyzes anonymized, aggregated data, which means it can’t be traced back to the original user — to you!”
The entry into the toilet camera market was not part of Throne’s initial plan. Originally conceived as a healthcare staffing marketplace, the founders quickly recognized they were entering an oversaturated market.
After securing an initial $1.2 million from investors like Night Capital, Rief Ventures, and Hustle Fund, the company faced a critical turning point.
“Within six weeks, we came to the painful realization that the market was saturated and not a sandbox we wanted to play in,” said CEO Scott Hickle. “So we pivoted, and our investors were surprisingly supportive of our move into consumer hardware.”
Throne’s pivot involved focusing on fecal health. The company aims to assist both the aging population and individuals with chronic digestive issues like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and IBS.
If this resonates with you and if you can get past the idea of attaching a camera to your toilet, Throne’s system is now available for preorder following a limited beta phase.
Priced at $499, the smart toilet camera is currently offered at a reduced price of $299 for early adopters.
