Koniku
Koniku is a Berkeley-based biotechnology company founded in 2015 that builds biological co-processors made of living, DNA-programmed neurons for chemical and odor detection, serving security, military, agriculture, and industrial customers via its Koniku Kore platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Rafael, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Koniku does
Koniku is a California-based biotechnology company founded in 2015 by Oshiorenoya Agabi that builds biological co-processors — wetware computing devices made from living, DNA-programmed neurons — to detect chemical compounds through odor and vapor sensing. The company's core platform, Koniku Kore, uses patent-pending DNA-coated electrodes to attach engineered neurons capable of recognizing specific molecular signatures, with a library of more than 900 receptor types (including 400 human receptors) and neurons that remain functional for up to two years. The company claims order-of-magnitude advantages over silicon in energy efficiency (approximately 10^-15 to 10^-19 joules per operation) and parallel fan-out (10,000+ per element versus roughly 10 for silicon logic gates).
The product portfolio consists of the Koniku Kore hardware platform as the foundation, with sector-specific application modules for security (scalable odor surveillance as an alternative to canine detection at airports and events), military (drone-mounted detection of buried IEDs), and agriculture (non-destructive volatiles sensing for fruit ripening and disease monitoring). Koniku generates revenue through hardware sales and technology licensing under quote-based enterprise contracts, with field trials described as underway. Its go-to-market relies on direct enterprise sales to defense, security, aerospace, and industrial buyers, supplemented by strategic partnerships.
Notable commercial relationships include a strategic partnership with Airbus for co-development of biological detection technology and membership in the Oracle Defense Ecosystem (announced June 2025) providing access to defense procurement and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. The company has raised approximately $49 million in disclosed funding across seed, early, and Series A rounds, the largest being a $37 million Series A in December 2021 led by Platform Capital and IDO Investments with participation from Airbus Ventures, SoftBank Vision Fund, HealthCap, LoftyInc Capital, and Presight Capital.
Koniku firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Koniku
- Legal name
- Koniku Inc.
- Website
- https://koniku.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Koniku is a Berkeley-based biotechnology company founded in 2015 that builds biological co-processors made of living, DNA-programmed neurons for chemical and odor detection, serving security, military, agriculture, and industrial customers via its Koniku Kore platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Koniku industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biosensing Hardware
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Biosensors & Lab-on-Chip (BioMEMS) (HDAHALAK)
Keywords
Where Koniku is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Rafael
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Koniku business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Biological Detection Hardware: Sale of Koniku Kore hardware systems for explosive, drug, and volatile compound detection in security, military, and industrial applications.
- Detection Technology Licensing: Licensing of biological detection technology for integration into customer systems and platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Koniku product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Koniku builds and sells biological co-processors made of living neurons (the Koniku Kore platform) that are engineered with DNA-programmed receptors to detect specific chemical compounds such as explosives, drugs, and agricultural volatiles. The hardware devices pair patent-pending DNA-coated electrodes with neuron cultures maintained for up to two years and are deployed in ground-based and airborne/mobile form factors for security screening, military IED detection, and agricultural quality control applications. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of detection systems and licensing of the underlying biological detection technology.
Product overview
Koniku is a biotechnology wetware company that builds biological co-processors using living neurons. The core product is the Koniku Kore, a neuron-based sensing device programmable via DNA sequences to detect specific chemical compounds. The product portfolio consists of the Koniku Kore hardware platform as the foundation, with sector-specific application modules for Security (odor surveillance for airports/events), Military (buried IED detection), and Agriculture (fruit quality/ripening monitoring). The platform leverages patent-pending DNA-coated electrodes and maintains neurons functional for up to 2 years, offering both ground-based (18x14x1 cm, <600g) and airborne/mobile system configurations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Koniku Kore: The company's core biosensing technology product platform using biological neurons for detection applications in security, agriculture, and military sectors.
Products and services
- Koniku Kore A biological co-processor device made of living neurons engineered with DNA-programmed receptors to detect specific chemical compounds (explosives, drugs, volatiles). The platform uses patch-clamp quality electrodes and maintains functional neurons for up to 2 years, offering ground-based and airborne/mobile form factors for security, military, and agricultural sensing applications.
- Koniku Kore Security Application Odor surveillance system built on Koniku Kore for scalable, contactless, continuous security screening. Replaces canine detection units for airport checkpoints, stadiums, and event venues by detecting explosive particles and contraband through vapor detection technology.
- Koniku Kore Military Application Explosive detection system built on Koniku Kore for detecting buried improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The system tracks and traces explosive particles even at low vapor pressures, addressing gaps in current IED detection technology with a portable form factor deployable on drones and ground-based platforms.
- Koniku Kore Agriculture Application Non-destructive volatiles sensing product built on Koniku Kore for breeding, quality control, and harvest optimization. Enables real-time fruit ripening detection, disease onset monitoring, and taste-sensitive quality assurance for farming operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Energy efficiency at least 1,000,000x better than silicon systems (10^-15 - 10^-19 vs 10^-9 - 10^-11 joules per operation)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Koniku
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Koniku technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Koniku partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Oracle Defense EcosystemmajorInitial member of Oracle Defense Ecosystem - a global initiative designed to strengthen U.S. and allied national security by enabling defense innovators to access advanced cloud and AI technologies through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. Ecosystem addresses barriers in the Defense Industrial Base including complex procurement processes.
- AirbuscoreStrategic partnership for development of biological detection technology used for security, healthcare, and industrial applications.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Koniku competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aromyx: Develops digital olfaction technology using engineered olfactory receptors for chemical sensing. Directly comparable to Koniku in using biological receptors to digitize smell, targeting food/beverage, consumer goods, and industrial customers.
- Alpha MOS (now Aryballe): Provides electronic nose (e-nose) instruments and digital olfaction sensors for food, cosmetics, and industrial applications. Competes with Koniku's biological sensing approach via silicon/sensor-based chemical detection.
- Owlstone Medical: Develops breath biopsy and volatile organic compound sensing for disease detection and exposure monitoring. Comparable to Koniku's chemical/odor detection platform but focused on clinical diagnostics.
- Sensigent: Manufacturer of electronic nose instruments and odor detection systems for industrial, environmental, and security applications. Competes with Koniku in chemical vapor and odor sensing markets.
Emerging players
- Hound Labs: Developer of ultra-sensitive breath-based cannabis and opioid detection technology. Comparable to Koniku's biological chemical detection approach but focused specifically on substance detection for workplace and law enforcement use cases.
- Synlogic: Synthetic biology company developing engineered probiotic therapeutics. Comparable to Koniku in applying synthetic biology to create functional biological systems, though focused on therapeutic rather than sensing applications.
- Stratuscent: Digital scent technology company developing AI-driven smell detection systems. Comparable to Koniku's mission of digitizing smell, though with different underlying technology approach.
Broad incumbents
- Sensirion: Established manufacturer of gas and chemical sensors, including MOX-based and other sensor technologies. Broad incumbent in chemical/gas sensing with much larger scale and broader product portfolio than Koniku.
- Bosch Sensortec: Major sensor manufacturer producing MEMS-based gas, environmental, and pressure sensors at massive scale. Incumbent in sensor industry that may compete with Koniku in industrial and consumer chemical sensing applications.
- Imec (formerly Roswell Biotechnologies): Leading semiconductor research center developing biosensor chips and bioMEMS technologies. Comparable to Koniku's bioelectronics approach at the intersection of biology and silicon, with much larger R&D resources.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Koniku social profiles
Digital presenceKoniku financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Koniku leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Koniku funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors14 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Koniku M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Koniku
What does Koniku do?
Koniku builds and sells biological co-processors made of living neurons (the Koniku Kore platform) that are engineered with DNA-programmed receptors to detect specific chemical compounds such as explosives, drugs, and agricultural volatiles. The hardware devices pair patent-pending DNA-coated electrodes with neuron cultures maintained for up to two years and are deployed in ground-based and airborne/mobile form factors for security screening, military IED detection, and agricultural quality control applications. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of detection systems and licensing of the underlying biological detection technology.
Is Koniku a public or private company?
Koniku is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Koniku founded?
Koniku was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Koniku based?
Koniku is headquartered in San Rafael, United States, in the North America region.
How does Koniku make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Biological Detection Hardware is the primary driver. The others are detection Technology Licensing.
Who are Koniku's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aromyx, Alpha MOS (now Aryballe), Owlstone Medical and Sensigent. Emerging players are Hound Labs, Synlogic and Stratuscent. Broad incumbents are Sensirion, Bosch Sensortec and Imec (formerly Roswell Biotechnologies).
Does Koniku have an API?
No public API is recorded for Koniku.
What industry is Koniku in?
Koniku's product category is Biosensing Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAIAD, Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development), with a secondary code of HDAHALAK, Biosensors & Lab-on-Chip (BioMEMS). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 3826.