Years after Elizabeth Holmes received an 11-year prison sentence for deceiving investors with a non-functional blood-testing device, her partner has embarked on a similar entrepreneurial path. However, that new venture is already hitting internal turbulence.

The Departure of Chief Technology Officer Joseph LaChapelle

Billy Evans, prominently featured in the documentary You Can See Everything, steers Haemanthus—an Austin-based startup that has drawn constant parallels to Theranos since emerging. The enterprise has now parted ways with the key scientist whose name graces the foundational patents of the company. Joseph LaChapelle, who served as chief technology officer, confirmed his departure in March.

“I resigned on March 16, 2026, due to a conflict of interest associated with a stealth startup I had founded prior to Haemanthus,” Joseph LaChapelle stated in an email. “I am not at liberty to discuss any further details on the topic.”

Contrasting accounts have emerged regarding the exit. While LaChapelle maintained he resigned voluntarily, an individual who spoke with Evans during the spring reported a different narrative, claiming Evans asserted he had dismissed the CTO. The same source noted that early Palantir backers had financial stakes in the venture, which Evans reportedly characterized internally as "Theranos 2.0"—a label the firm publicly rejects.

Defending Against the Theranos Comparison

In May 2025, Haemanthus took to social media to push back against the moniker. The company asserted that Holmes maintained "zero involvement" and held "no role, now or future." Unlike the Theranos model of miniaturizing traditional laboratory assays, Haemanthus claims its methodology relies on light-based analysis of biological fluids for disease detection. Evans did not respond to requests for comment.

This newly uncovered leadership departure coincides with a resurgence of public interest surrounding Holmes. Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, You Can See Everything debuted on October 16, tracking the couple's lives just before Holmes began her prison sentence in 2023 following her 2022 fraud conviction.

The Technology and Ambitions Behind Haemanthus

Taking its name from the Greek word for blood flower, Haemanthus first captured public attention in May 2025 through reports by the New York Times and NPR detailing Evans' fundraising efforts. The startup aimed to develop diagnostic hardware for blood, saliva, and urine, mapping out an initial focus on veterinary diagnostics before scaling to human markets, with ambitions to secure over $50 million.

Operating with a lean team of roughly a dozen individuals, the company included alumni from Luminar Technologies, the autonomous vehicle firm that filed for bankruptcy last year. Haemanthus leverages Raman spectroscopy, a technique studying light-matter interaction to decode molecular structures. LaChapelle is recognized as a co-inventor on a foundational Raman spectroscopy patent assigned to the startup in January 2025.

Questions regarding Holmes' potential ties to the enterprise remain a point of contention. While NPR reported in May 2025 that sources indicated she offered prison-based advisory support to Evans, Haemanthus has consistently denied her participation. Nonetheless, documentary footage depicts the couple engaging in joint fundraising calls, though the specific venture being pitched in those instances remains ambiguous.