• Nicoya Lifesciences

  Participated · Series A · Jan 2020

  Nicoya Lifesciences builds digital proteomics solutions centered on Alto, a benchtop surface plasmon resonance (SPR) platform that integrates SPR with digital microfluidics to digitize label‑free protein characterization. The company positions Alto as a high‑throughput, label‑free biosensor for academic, biotech, government, and pharmaceutical users. Nicoya says its tools are used by over 500 researchers across more than 50 countries and that the business grew to a team of over 100 employees following earlier financing. The company plans to use the new funding to continue development and commercialization of Alto and to expand into new international markets. Financially, the firm has raised a total of $35 million since inception, including prior Series A capital announced in early 2020. Nicoya provides advanced analytical instruments used by hundreds of researchers in over 40 countries and is leveraging its expertise in nanotechnology, microfluidics and biochemistry to develop Atlas, a portable COVID-19 diagnostic. Atlas is a single-use, disposable, saliva-based test that detects SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins and is designed to deliver lab-quality results to a smartphone app in under 20 minutes. The company aims to make testing more accessible in remote communities and frontline screening settings and to support public-health reopening strategies. Development of an Atlas prototype is currently underway, and Nicoya says the funding and advisory support will expedite research and development toward public availability. The company is headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario. Nicoya develops analytical instruments for biotech and pharma, leveraging nanotechnology, microfluidics and AI to help scientists study diseases and accelerate therapeutic development. Its first product is OpenSPR, a benchtop surface plasmon resonance (SPR) instrument. The company focuses on enabling research into conditions such as cancer, hepatitis, Alzheimer’s and cardiac disease. Nicoya plans to use new funding to expedite development of drug-discovery products and pursue additional opportunities within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. It intends to grow its team from 50 to 80 employees over the next year and expand into more international markets. Nicoya Lifesciences, launched in 2012 as a University of Waterloo spin-out by CEO Ryan Denomme, develops sensitive biosensors and nanotechnology-enabled scientific instruments to make laboratory tools more accessible. The company uses nanotechnology to lower the cost and complexity of instruments that help scientists understand diseases and develop new drugs. It is based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. The article reports a $2M financing that the company will use to support new product development and to expand sales and marketing. The financing underscores a focus on commercial growth rather than reported operating metrics; no revenue or user figures are provided in the article. The company’s core technology and university origins are emphasized as foundational to its product roadmap and commercialization efforts. Nicoya Lifesciences builds a personal, portable Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) solution designed to make protein testing simple, quick and accessible. Their device reportedly delivers testing for less than one-tenth the cost of current solutions. The lower cost and portability aim to speed and broaden testing for life-changing and life-saving drugs. Nicoya plans to use the $50,000 award to grow its sales team, though leadership said they will first do something special for the team after the Rev program. The company’s prize and recent exposure came via Communitech’s Rev Centre Stage pitch event, part of Rev’s six-month sales-and-marketing accelerator. Rev does not take equity from participating companies.

No current team members are available.