Better2Know was founded in 2008. Starting with five clinics in London, it responded to demand for fast access to confidential STI testing appointments, with fast results. It expanded quickly with new clinics around the country in key cities: Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and growing relationships with The Doctors Laboratory and Nuffield Health.

In spring 2011, Better2Know was bought by its current owners, and remains a privately owned company. At this time, Better2Know had partnerships with 50 clinics across the UK providing the Better2Know service. A period of re-evaluating and planning for the next stage of growth of Better2Know followed. The home sample collection service was launched in Ireland in April 2011. ISO9001 registration was achieved in October 2011, showing the more focussed approach that Better2Know took to quality. New partnerships were forged, along with new ways of providing services to patients where the doctor’s appointment would come after result were known. A Medical Advisory Board put together new packages of screens to provide comprehensive testing for all, as well as bespoke tests for MSM and WSW. Responding to patient demand, Better2Know also offered vaccines for some viral infections.

In 2013, Better2Know launched its clinic service in South Africa. The first service of its kind on the continent. The service was an immediate success with sales in the first week of the website being launched.

2014 saw the launch of Better2Know services in Spain, Italy and India. To meet these opportunities, the head office team doubled, with increased focus on Patient Services in order to bring a higher level of service to our patients, so that they get consistent support and advice from Better2Know, no matter where they are in world.

In 2015, Better2Know expanded its offering to the Irish market to Dublin, and across all of Ireland in 2016. Better2Know India was launched in the last quarter of 2015.

2016 also saw the launch of the Better2Know shop, offering our customers a wider range of sexual health products.

2017 has seen the succesful launch of the service in the Middle East, with the first bookings made in the UAE. The new office in Cape Town opened in January 2017 with the new team answering patient calls for Africa.

In 2018, Better2Know launched its service across Australia with immediate success.  Better2Know also won the BIBAs Small Business of the Year Award 2018 and CEO Mike Asher won South African Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year Award.

2019 saw Better2Know launch its service in Belgium and the Netherlands. Better2Know won several awards, including the European Business Awards as 'One to Watch', Great British Entrepreneur of the Year for Service Industries, and Gold Stevie Award Winner for Small Company of the Year in the Health Products and Services category at the International Business Awards.

In 2020, Better2Know broadened the scope of its services and began to provide Covid-19 testing in response to the global pandemic. Furthermore, Better2Know launched its sexual health testing services in Nigeria. Better2Know also achieved various awards including multiple Gold Stevie Awards at the International Business Awards.

Throughout the pandemic, Better2Know worked with national and local governments, the NHS, and well known brands such as Jummy Choo, Red Bull and Michael Kors to keep people safe by providing fast and effective Covid testing.  Better2Know's helped delived £53million to the economy, and through our testing 20 deaths and 90 hospitalisations were avoided.

In 2022, in response to a change in healthcare use during the pandemic, Better2Know launched its Health and Wellness testing across its platforms.  This provided patients with access to non-sexual health testing using the Better2Know ecosystem.  Tests include: hormone levels, vitamin and mineral levels, and cancer screening.

In 2023, Better2Know launched in its fifth contient with a new service for Canadians looking for fast and efficient sexual health testing.

Timeline

2008
  • Better2Know founded in August

2009
  • Better2Know began its expansion outside of London to major cities in the UK

2011
  • Better2Know sold to its current owners in April
  • Launch of Home Sample Collection Service in Ireland
  • ISO 9001 registration achieved

2012
  • Medical Advisory Board propose new screens
  • Growth of UK clinic business to include 100 sites

2013
  • New relationship with Spire pathology, making appointments faster for patients
  • Launch of blood and swab home sample collection in UK and Ireland
  • Launch of Better2Know clinic service in South Africa

2014
  • Launch of Instant Testing in the UK for six STIs
  • Launch of clinic business in Spain
  • Launch of Everywhere service in the UK - We Come2You
  • Launch of home sample collection in Italy and India

2015
  • Launch of online results reporting in the UK
  • Launch of Better2Know clinics in Dublin
  • Launch of Better2Know India

2016
  • Launch of clinic service across all of Ireland
  • Launch of Better2Know Shop

2017
  • Launch of Better2Know in UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
  • Launch of Cape Town office for African patients

2018
  • Launch of Better2Know in Australia
  • Better2Know won several awards: Best in Business Awards (BIBAs) Small Business of the Year, Tech 100 Fastest Growing Companies, South African Chamber of Commerce Award

2019
  • Launch of Better2Know in Belgium and the Netherlands
  • Better2Know won several awards: European Business Awards, Great British Entrepreneur of the Year National Winner, International Business Awards Gold Winner for Small Company of the Year (Health Products and Services)

2020
  • Launch of Better2Know in Nigeria
  • Better2Know began to provide Covid-19 testing
  • Better2Know won multiple Gold International Business Awards including Most Valuable Service and Small Company of the Year (Health Products and Services)

2021
  • Provider of Covid 19 Testing on behalf of the UK Government

2022
  • Launch of Better2Know Health and Wellness Testing

2023
  • Launch of Better2Know in Canada