The company said it planned to move to a Jiddu Beta prototype in early 2025, clinical trials in Q2 2025, and a full market launch in Q1 2026, indicating a stretched commercialization timeline.
SourceOne-hour antibiotic sensitivity testing
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Astek Diagnostics is a Baltimore-area medical device / biotechnology startup developing the JIDDU platform, a benchtop diagnostic system for one-hour confirmation of urinary tract infections and antibiotic susceptibility testing, with planned expansion to CSF, wound effluent, and blood.
Primary product
JIDDU platform (benchtop analyzer for rapid UTI confirmation and antibiotic susceptibility testing)
Founded
2020
Headquarters
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Team size
10-20 employees
Industry
Biotechnology Research
Sub-industry
Precision diagnostics / medical devices
Offices
0 jobs at Astek Diagnostics
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Business model
Stage
seed
Total raised
$4.7M
Latest round
Seed VC - III · Jun 2025
Latest amount
$500K
Leadership
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Medical Officer
Chief Science Officer
Chief Commercial Officer (fractional)
Chief Financial Officer
Co-founder
Lead Engineer
Senior Scientist
Investors
Mission-driven, research-heavy culture centered on scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs working on faster infection diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship.
Compensation
Public hiring materials advertise a competitive salary. Third-party salary data suggests average pay around $96.8k/year with an estimated range of about $85.0k-$109.8k, but that estimate is not company-stated.
Benefits
Pricing
Razor-and-blade model: the analyzer was described as being sold at cost (about $6,500) with tests priced around $50 each, with reimbursement targets of roughly $100-$250 per test.
Differentiators
Technology
Customers
Competitors
Estimated revenue
$1M-$5M (third-party estimates vary from <$1M to ~$5M)
Estimated monthly visits
1.7K
Traffic estimate as of Oct 2024
The company said it planned to move to a Jiddu Beta prototype in early 2025, clinical trials in Q2 2025, and a full market launch in Q1 2026, indicating a stretched commercialization timeline.
SourceA 360Dx report noted the launch was still pending FDA marketing clearance, underscoring regulatory and commercialization risk.
SourceTEDCO · Jun 2025
TEDCO announced a $500,000 dual investment in Astek Diagnostics and noted prior support from TEDCO funds, MII, and the SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab.
Astek Diagnostics · Dec 2024
The company reported 87.10% accuracy, 93.33% specificity, and 86.67% sensitivity in its 50-sample study and said it planned a Beta prototype and clinical trials in 2025.
Astek Diagnostics · Nov 2024
Astek named Suzanne Groah CMO to lead clinical strategy and support development of the Jiddu platform.
360Dx · Sep 2024
360Dx described the Jiddu analyzer, its fluorescence-based workflow, a reported $30M in prospective contracts, and competitors including Sysmex Astrego, Llusern Scientific, Microplate Dx, and OpGen.
PR Newswire · Apr 2024
She's Independent announced a strategic investment and listed several prior investors and funding supporters, including Y Combinator, AYANA Capital, Wexford, Harvard Management Seed Capital, TEDCO, and others.