We are celebrating HemoCue’s first 40 years and
looking forward to the next 40!
October 26 2022
HemoCue’s 40th Anniversary
Our Founders Were Driven by a Dream
HemoCue’s founders, Jan Lilja and Sven-Erik Nilsson, were driven by a dream. They wanted to develop a method to measure hemoglobin in blood that was easy-to-use, fast and accurate, and did not require sending samples out to a laboratory.
Our Founders Were Driven by a Dream
HemoCue’s founders, Jan Lilja and Sven-Erik Nilsson, were driven by a dream. They wanted to develop a method to measure hemoglobin in blood that was easy-to-use, fast and accurate, and did not require sending samples out to a laboratory.
After 4 Decades, Their Legacy is Alive and Well.
40 years after the first sale of our products, their legacy lives on in our perpetual quest for innovation and unswerving devotion to accuracy. It is seen in our deep dedication to caring for patients, our employees and the environment, and in our deep-rooted belief in collaborations and partnerships.
Our founders invented a point-of-care testing solution that revolutionized the way hemoglobin in blood is measured. It was the 1970s, and at the time, measuring hemoglobin was labor intensive, time consuming, and involved many manual steps, which opened the door to inaccuracies. Because of this, doctors often did not trust results and patients would not receive proper treatment for blood disorders such as anemia. Jan and Sven-Erik believed there was a better way. They proposed making a portable device based on microcuvette technology to measure hemoglobin. They were told it was impossible. The tolerances required for such a device could never be achieved. But they didn’t give up. The two came from different backgrounds and had very different skill sets. But their partnership worked because they were united by their passion to improve patient care and their unwillingness to compromise on quality and accuracy. Their dedication and persistence paid off, and they invented a point-of-care test with tolerances never before thought possible. Now, 40 years after the first sale of their device, our founders’ legacy is alive and well. It can be seen in our drive to maintain previously unheard-of levels of accuracy, continuously improve our technology, and expand our product areas, which now include solutions for diabetes care and detecting infections. Our founder’s passion for caring can still be seen in our efforts to build a strong, diverse and inclusive workforce and in our devotion to improving patient care. Today, HemoCue products are used on four patients every second, and it is our goal to make each interaction a good one. Because that is the true measure of our success, and what drives us to excel every day. We are proud to know that our products give medical workers valuable insight and can help make a difference for patients around the world. 140 million HemoCue microcuvettes are sold every year, and with every microcuvette comes an opportunity to see a patient more clearly, to find unseen ailments and to provide the best care possible. That little invention that was once considered impossible is now used on every continent, in every climate, on land, sea and in the skies. And we are just getting started.
A Revolution in Hemoglobin Measurement
United by a Passion to Improve Patient Care
A Living Legacy
Still Going Strong
Our founders invented a point-of-care testing solution that revolutionized the way hemoglobin in blood is measured. It was the 1970s, and at the time, measuring hemoglobin was labor intensive, time consuming, and involved many manual steps, which opened the door to inaccuracies. Because of this, doctors often did not trust results and patients would not receive proper treatment for blood disorders such as anemia. Jan and Sven-Erik believed there was a better way. They proposed making a portable device based on microcuvette technology to measure hemoglobin. They were told it was impossible. The tolerances required for such a device could never be achieved. But they didn’t give up. The two came from different backgrounds and had very different skill sets. But their partnership worked because they were united by their passion to improve patient care and their unwillingness to compromise on quality and accuracy. Their dedication and persistence paid off, and they invented a point-of-care test with tolerances never before thought possible. Now, 40 years after the first sale of their device, our founders’ legacy is alive and well. It can be seen in our drive to maintain previously unheard-of levels of accuracy, continuously improve our technology, and expand our product areas, which now include solutions for diabetes care and detecting infections. Our founder’s passion for caring can still be seen in our efforts to build a strong, diverse and inclusive workforce and in our devotion to improving patient care. Today, HemoCue products are used on four patients every second, and it is our goal to make each interaction a good one. Because that is the true measure of our success, and what drives us to excel every day. We are proud to know that our products give medical workers valuable insight and can help make a difference for patients around the world. 140 million HemoCue microcuvettes are sold every year, and with every microcuvette comes an opportunity to see a patient more clearly, to find unseen ailments and to provide the best care possible. That little invention that was once considered impossible is now used on every continent, in every climate, on land, sea and in the skies. And we are just getting started.
A Revolution in Hemoglobin Measurement
United by a Passion to Improve Patient Care
A Living Legacy
Still Going Strong
40 Years of…
Our history is filled with inventions, numerous patents, new ways of working, improved processes and a drive to make the impossible possible.
Our success is built on strong collaborations. We have more than 150 channel partners and are proud to partner with several NGOs and aid organizations.
White blood cell count provides valuable information in the diagnosis or exclusion of an infection. Based on HemoCue’s microcuvette technology, the WBC system allows medical professionals to accurately determine total white blood cell counts right at the point of care.
The WHO called for reducing anemia by 50% in women of reproductive age, as part of its 2025 World Health Assembly Global Nutrition Targets. This made the assessment of anemia a global priority, and at HemoCue, we knew that we could make a difference. We launched 
