Innovative Grovetown Park based biotechnology company DNAiTECH has raised $1 million in pre-seed capital from Sprout Agritech, with a $750k repayable grant from Callaghan Innovation, to support the development of revolutionary instant diagnostic tests.

DNAiTECH has developed portable equipment to instantly test and diagnose a broad spectrum of animal and human diseases without the need for a lab.

This investment will help DNAiTECH bring its world-first point-of-care diagnostic technology to market and expand its production capabilities.

Dr Murray Broom, founder and CEO of DNAiTECH, is excited about the partnership. “This funding will allow us to take our minimum viable product into the field, scaling up our operations and hiring additional staff,” he says. “It’s not just about the money, but the quality of the people, the connections they bring, and their vision for deep tech.”

DNAiTECH lab with co-founder Tatiana Ceban and Susan Foster from MRC.

Sprout’s investment will support DNAiTECH’s continued development of its paper-based diagnostic technology, which has applications across various fields, including agritech, biomedicine, and environmental studies.

The Marlborough Research Centre (MRC) has played a key role in DNAiTECH’s growth. “MRC’s support since 2021 has been instrumental in our success,” Murray notes. “Their backing helped us secure multiple grants from organisations such as Callaghan Innovation, AGMARDT, and Auckland Council. MRC fosters research, innovation, and business growth in Marlborough, and their support has been vital in reaching our many milestones.”

Interested in how DNAiTECH’s technology is making an impact globally? Read about their latest work in Senegal addressing measles outbreaks here.