Nuclein
Nuclein is an Austin-based molecular diagnostics company developing the DASH Rapid PCR System, a point-of-care PCR platform with FDA-cleared, CLIA-waived multiplex respiratory assays, serving urgent care, primary care, and pediatric clinics through U.S. healthcare distributors and direct sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Nuclein does
Nuclein is an Austin, Texas-based molecular diagnostics company founded in 2017 that develops the DASH Rapid PCR System, a point-of-care sample-to-answer platform for nucleic acid detection. The core system integrates an instrument, barcode scanner, collection swabs, and single-use test cartridges, automating sample preparation, sequence-specific capture, PCR amplification, and result detection in a single workflow. The instrument weighs less than 10 pounds, supports Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity, and delivers lab-quality results in 15 minutes with only one minute of hands-on time. In January 2025, the company's lead assay — the DASH SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Test — received dual FDA 510(k) clearance and CLIA waiver, enabling multiplex detection of three respiratory pathogens from an anterior nasal swab in waived clinical settings such as urgent care clinics, primary care offices, pediatric practices, and emergency departments.
Nuclein generates revenue through a razor-and-blade model: hardware sales of the DASH instrument drive placements, while recurring revenue comes from sale of single-use test cartridges and sample collection kits stored at room temperature, eliminating cold chain logistics. The company employs a hybrid go-to-market motion, selling both directly through regional sales managers covering six major metropolitan areas and a dedicated sales hotline, and indirectly through the four largest U.S. healthcare distributors — Henry Schein, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Lochness Medical Supplies. Target customers are point-of-care healthcare providers seeking to convert multi-day lab PCR turnaround into same-visit diagnosis and treatment decisions.
The company was co-founded by Alan Blake (former CEO of Yorktown Technologies, which commercialized GloFish) and Richard Crockett, and merged with Minute Molecular Diagnostics in 2023. Nuclein has assembled a leadership team heavily drawn from Luminex Corporation (CTO, COO, CCO, VP Sales, VP Quality, VP Assay Development), with former QuidelOrtho CEO Douglas Bryant on the board. Trinity Investors is a key strategic investor. The company has raised approximately $49-65M+ cumulatively through Regulation D exempt securities offerings between 2024 and 2026. Operating geographies are currently United States only.
Nuclein firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nuclein
- Legal name
- Nuclein, LLC
- Website
- https://nuclein.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Nuclein is an Austin-based molecular diagnostics company developing the DASH Rapid PCR System, a point-of-care PCR platform with FDA-cleared, CLIA-waived multiplex respiratory assays, serving urgent care, primary care, and pediatric clinics through U.S. healthcare distributors and direct sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nuclein industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Point-of-Care Molecular Diagnostics
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)
- SIC
- In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pregnancy, Fertility & Women’s Health Rapid Tests (hCG, ovulation, vaginal infection) (HLAHAOAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR) (HLAGADAF), Multiplex & High-Throughput Diagnostics Platforms (microarrays, digital PCR, lab automation-enabled assays) (HLAAALAL), Molecular Diagnostics (PCR/NAAT/NGS-based IVD) (HLAHAAAD)
Keywords
Where Nuclein is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nuclein business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- DASH Rapid PCR Instrument Sales: Sale of the DASH Rapid PCR instrument (small desktop device weighing less than 10 pounds). The instrument requires no regular maintenance.
- Test Cartridge Consumables: Recurring revenue from sale of test cartridges for the DASH system. Each test requires a single-use cartridge containing all reagents. Cartridges are stored at room temperature.
- Sample Collection Kits: Sale of sample collection swabs and other consumables required for test administration.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Direct sales and distributor channels available |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Nuclein product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nuclein develops and sells the DASH Rapid PCR System, a point-of-care in vitro diagnostic instrument that automates sample preparation, sequence-specific nucleic acid capture, PCR amplification, and result detection to deliver lab-quality results in 15 minutes. The system is sold with single-use multiplex test cartridges (initially the FDA-cleared, CLIA-waived DASH SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Test) and sample collection consumables to urgent care clinics, primary care offices, pediatric clinics, and other decentralized healthcare settings in the United States.
Product overview
Nuclein offers a unified point-of-care molecular diagnostics system consisting of the DASH Rapid PCR System as the core instrument platform and the DASH SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Test as the FDA-cleared, CLIA-waived assay cartridge. The system delivers lab-quality PCR results in 15 minutes at the point of care, combining sample preparation, amplification, and detection into a single automated workflow with only one minute of hands-on time.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DASH Rapid PCR System: Point-of-care in vitro diagnostic system that detects nucleic acids of target pathogens. Consists of an instrument, barcode scanner, collection swabs, and test cartridges.
- DASH SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Test
Products and services
- DASH Rapid PCR System A point-of-care in vitro diagnostic system that detects nucleic acids of target pathogens. The sample-to-answer system automates sample preparation, sequence-specific capture, and PCR amplification, weighs less than 10 pounds with a 15"D x 11"H x 4"W desktop footprint, and delivers lab-quality PCR results in 15 minutes with only 1 minute of hands-on time. The instrument has Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity and requires no regular maintenance. It is sold to urgent care clinics, primary care offices, pediatric practices, and other decentralized healthcare settings in the United States.
- DASH SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Test Single-use multiplex test cartridge consumed by the DASH Rapid PCR System for simultaneous in vitro qualitative detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, and influenza B virus RNA in anterior nasal swab specimens. FDA 510(k)-cleared and CLIA-waived, it enables same-visit test-and-treat in CLIA-waived settings such as urgent care, primary care, and pediatric clinics. Cartridges are stored at room temperature (15-30°C).
Quantifiable outcome
- 95.2% sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2, 94.3% for Flu A, 97.3% for Flu B; 99.5%, 98.1%, 99.2% specificity respectively
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Nuclein
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Nuclein technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Nuclein partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Henry ScheincoreHenry Schein is a major healthcare distributor offering Nuclein's DASH Rapid PCR System and test cartridges to healthcare providers across the United States.
- McKessoncoreMcKesson is a healthcare distribution company distributing Nuclein's diagnostic products to healthcare facilities throughout the US.
- Cardinal HealthcoreCardinal Health distributes Nuclein's DASH Rapid PCR System and related test cartridges to healthcare providers nationwide.
- Lochness Medical SuppliesminorRegional medical supplies distributor offering Nuclein diagnostic products; contact at 1-888-506-2658 or [email protected]
- Minute Molecular DiagnosticscoreMinute Molecular Diagnostics merged with Nuclein in 2023. Walter Narajowski, former COO of Minute Molecular, joined Nuclein's Board of Directors following the merger.
- SMART4TBminorSMART4TB program announced Nuclein as a partner in developing groundbreaking oral, non-sputum-based molecular tests for tuberculosis.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Nuclein competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Qiagen (QIAstat-Dx): Qiagen's QIAstat-Dx is a cartridge-based multiplex real-time PCR system for syndromic respiratory and GI testing. It is a peer in cartridge-based multiplex molecular diagnostics, though typically positioned in higher-complexity settings.
- Abbott (ID NOW): Abbott's ID NOW is a rapid molecular point-of-care system widely used for influenza and strep testing in urgent care and physician offices. It competes directly with DASH on speed, footprint, and waived-setting use cases, though it is isothermal rather than PCR-based.
- bioMérieux (BioFire): BioFire's FilmArray system is a syndromic multiplex PCR panel platform widely deployed in hospital labs and increasingly in point-of-care settings. It is a competing molecular platform with broader multiplex menus, though typically higher instrument cost and complexity.
- QuidelOrtho: QuidelOrtho (formerly Quidel) is a major IVD player with Sofia rapid antigen and molecular diagnostics products targeting point-of-care settings. Nuclein's board director Douglas Bryant was QuidelOrtho's former CEO, indicating close strategic familiarity.
- Roche (cobas Liat): Roche's cobas Liat is a compact, rapid PCR system for point-of-care testing of influenza, RSV, and Strep A, directly competing with DASH in urgent care and pharmacy settings. Roche is also Nuclein CCO Reid Sadler's former employer.
Direct peers
- Cue Health: Cue Health developed a connected rapid molecular diagnostic platform targeting at-home and point-of-care use. It is a peer in compact, cloud-connected PCR-style molecular testing, though focused more on consumer/DTC channels.
- Cepheid (a Danaher company): Cepheid's GeneXpert Xpress is the leading rapid, CLIA-waivable RT-PCR system targeting urgent care, physician offices, and decentralized settings. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to the DASH Rapid PCR System in point-of-care respiratory testing.
- Visby Medical: Visby Medical develops single-use, instrument-free PCR tests for STI and respiratory infections. It is a peer emerging player in rapid, decentralized molecular diagnostics competing for similar clinical use cases at the point of care.
Emerging players
- Mesa Labs (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific): Mesa Labs' Accula system was a rapid, palm-sized PCR platform for point-of-care influenza and RSV testing, sold primarily through distribution. It is a closely comparable compact PCR platform, now owned by Thermo Fisher following the Mesa acquisition.
- Binx Health: Binx Health developed the io molecular platform for rapid CT/NG testing at point of care, overlapping with Nuclein's target segments. Nuclein CCO Reid Sadler and Senior Director Geoff Richman both have prior Binx experience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Nuclein social profiles
Digital presenceNuclein compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Nuclein financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nuclein leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Nuclein funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nuclein M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nuclein
What does Nuclein do?
Nuclein develops and sells the DASH Rapid PCR System, a point-of-care in vitro diagnostic instrument that automates sample preparation, sequence-specific nucleic acid capture, PCR amplification, and result detection to deliver lab-quality results in 15 minutes. The system is sold with single-use multiplex test cartridges (initially the FDA-cleared, CLIA-waived DASH SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Test) and sample collection consumables to urgent care clinics, primary care offices, pediatric clinics, and other decentralized healthcare settings in the United States.
Is Nuclein a public or private company?
Nuclein is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Nuclein founded?
Nuclein was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Nuclein based?
Nuclein is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Nuclein make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. DASH Rapid PCR Instrument Sales are the primary driver. The others are test Cartridge Consumables and sample Collection Kits.
Who are Nuclein's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Qiagen (QIAstat-Dx), Abbott (ID NOW), bioMérieux (BioFire), QuidelOrtho and Roche (cobas Liat). Direct peers are Cue Health, Cepheid (a Danaher company) and Visby Medical. Emerging players are Mesa Labs (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific) and Binx Health.
Does Nuclein have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nuclein.
What industry is Nuclein in?
Nuclein's product category is Point-of-Care Molecular Diagnostics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAHAOAF, Pregnancy, Fertility & Women’s Health Rapid Tests (hCG, ovulation, vaginal infection), with a secondary code of HLAGADAF, Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 2835.