Other
Dec 2024The 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
Company research
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Overview
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
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
4 North Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Halethorpe, Maryland, United States
Business model
B2B clinical diagnostics
Per-test consumables
Razor-and-blade instrument + assay model
Reimbursement-driven clinical sales
Funding
Stage
seed
Total raised
$4.7M
Latest round
Seed VC - III · Jun 2025
Latest amount
$500K
People & investors
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
Abell Foundation
AYANA Capital
Goldin Ventures
Harvard Management Seed Capital
Key Technologies
Maryland Industrial Partnerships
Maryland Innovation Initiative
Maryland Momentum Fund
MedTech Innovator
National Science Foundation
She's Independent
State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)
TEDCO
University System of Maryland Momentum Fund
Wexford SciTech Venture Fund
Y Combinator
Work & culture
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
10 paid holidays
15 days paid time off
401(k) plan
equity incentive plan
competitive salary
Product & market
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
- —One-hour urine UTI confirmation and antibiotic susceptibility testing
- —Microfluidic cartridge workflow with fluorescent metabolic readout
- —Can expand beyond urine to CSF, wound effluent, and blood
- —Supports point-of-care use with minimal training
- —Potentially easier-to-regulate urine-based product path
- —Clinical partnerships with MedStar Health and the University of Maryland Medical Center
Technology
microfluidics
fluorescence spectroscopy
resazurin / resorufin assay
fluorescent dye detection
automated sample processing
microfluidic cartridges
benchtop analyzer
fluorometer
software-based result interpretation
bacterial separation chamber
Vue.js
GoDaddy Website Builder
cdnjs
HTTP/3
Customers
The University of Maryland Medical Center
MedStar Health
MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital
Urology practices
Healthcare providers
Competitors
Sysmex Astrego
Llusern Scientific
Microplate Dx
OpGen
Cepheid
Day Zero Diagnostics
iFAST Diagnostics
T2 Biosystems
LumiraDx
Accelerate Diagnostics
Scale & contact
Estimated revenue
$1M-$5M (third-party estimates vary from <$1M to ~$5M)
Estimated monthly visits
1.7K
Traffic estimate as of Oct 2024
Signals & risks
Other
Sep 2024A 360Dx report noted the launch was still pending FDA marketing clearance, underscoring regulatory and commercialization risk.
SourceLatest news
TEDCO · 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.
Jobs and careers at Astek Diagnostics
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