BIOsens Inc.

What BIOsens Inc. does

BIOsens Inc. is a privately held Ukrainian deep-tech startup, founded in 2016 following an AgTech hackathon, that develops a portable electrochemical biosensor system for rapid on-site detection of mycotoxins (aflatoxins, zearalenone, fumonisins, T-2/HT-2 toxins, vomitoxin/DON, ochratoxin A) in agricultural commodities including wheat, maize, and peanuts. The integrated system comprises a handheld diagnostic device, a cartridge-based automated sample preparation module, a companion mobile application for device control and result viewing, and a web-based analytics service feeding a centralized data warehouse. The core technical differentiator is a 25-minute quantitative analysis time without requiring laboratory skills, reducing food-safety testing time by an order of magnitude versus conventional HPLC-based methods.

The company operates a hardware-led business model, selling diagnostic devices together with recurring cartridge/consumable usage to enterprise customers in grain storage and trading, livestock farming, food and feed production, and agricultural research. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales, supplemented by participation in major international trade fairs (BIOFACH, Expo 2020 Dubai, RAFA) and accelerator programs (Kickstart Switzerland, IoT Hub, eō Business Incubators). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the website funnels prospects to a 'Book a Demo' workflow typical of quote-based enterprise sales. Named commercial references are limited to Nibulon (a major Ukrainian grain exporter) and NULES (university research partner).

BIOsens has been primarily capitalised through non-dilutive grant funding rather than institutional venture capital: EBRD Climate Innovation Vouchers (up to EUR 50,000 in 2018), Horizon 2020 SME Phase I (EUR 50,000 in 2019), and a Horizon 2020 research and innovation grant of EUR 868,589 in 2020, supplemented by an undisclosed pre-seed at IoT Hub Demo Day (2016) and a Ukrainian Startup Fund investment (USD 25,000 in 2020). The company holds two pending Ukrainian patent applications covering its biosensor and sample extraction technology, maintains a headquarters in Kyiv and a US contact office in Walnut, California, and operates with a 1-10 person team led by CEO Katerina Zvierieva and COO Andrii Karpiuk.

Name

BIOsens Inc.

Legal name

LLC "BIOSENS UKRAINE"

Website

https://sens.bio

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BIOsens Inc. develops portable electrochemical biosensor devices that detect mycotoxins in grain and feed in 25 minutes without laboratory infrastructure, selling hardware and cartridges to grain exporters, farms, food producers, and agricultural researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Safety Diagnostics Hardware

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Mycotoxin Testing (Aflatoxins, Ochratoxin, DON, ZEN, Fumonisins) (AFALAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rapid On-Site Environmental Testing Kits & Instruments (Lateral Flow, PCR, ATP Devices) (AFALAEAK)

Keywords

• Mycotoxin detection
• Food safety diagnostics
• Portable biosensors
• Agricultural IoT devices
• Electrochemical biosensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyiv

HQ country

Ukraine

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Diagnostic Device Sales: BIOsens sells portable diagnostic devices for mycotoxin detection. The hardware product includes the main device, cartridges for sample testing, and associated consumables. Customers include farmers, grain traders, food producers, and agricultural companies who need on-site rapid testing capabilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BIOsens sells a portable electrochemical biosensor device that detects and quantifies mycotoxins in food and feed samples (wheat, maize, peanuts and other grains) in 25 minutes at the point of need. The system bundles a hardware analyzer, single-use test cartridges for automated sample preparation, a mobile application for device control and result viewing, and a web analytics service for centralized data warehousing. Target buyers are agricultural companies, grain exporters, livestock farms, food producers, and agricultural researchers requiring rapid on-site testing without laboratory infrastructure or specialized personnel.

Product overview

BIOsens Inc. offers a rapid mycotoxin detection system consisting of a portable biosensor device as the core product, supported by a mobile application for device control and result viewing, a web analytics service for data analysis, and a cartridge-based sample extraction system for automated sample preparation. The integrated system enables field, farm, and storage-based mycotoxin testing in 25 minutes without requiring laboratory facilities or highly skilled personnel. Target users include farmers, grain traders, food and feed producers, and agricultural researchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BIOsens Mycotoxin Detection Device Portable electrochemical biosensor device that delivers quantitative estimates of mycotoxin contamination (aflatoxins, zearalenone, fumonisins, T-2/HT-2 toxins, vomitoxin, ochratoxin A) in agricultural commodities such as wheat, maize, and peanuts within 25 minutes, usable in the field, on farms, or at storage sites without laboratory personnel.
• Mycotoxin Test Cartridges / Sample Extraction Consumables Single-use cartridge-based consumables with automated sample preparation that extract and deliver agricultural samples (wheat, corn, peanuts) into the BIOsens detection device for analysis; required to operate the device and sold on a recurring basis.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25-minute mycotoxin detection vs. hours/days for conventional methods
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and major.

• Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019BIOsens signed memorandum of partnership with KNU Business-Leader School. Joined KNU Business-Leader team of mentors, and a Skype Room was equipped as part of KNULeaderHub Innovation Entrepreneurship Development Center.
• Organic Ukraine Business Hub & Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of UkrainesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2019BIOsens participation at BIOFACH Nuremberg was organized by Organic Ukraine Business Hub and supported by Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, facilitating international market entry.
• Tech Futures GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018Tech Futures Group (NorCal SBDC) provided free business advisory board services to BIOsens including expert advice on financial modeling, investor presentation, patent strategy, and fundraising.
• CRDF GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2018CRDF Global supported BIOsens in development of the first prototype Sample Extraction system. As a result of this collaboration, the team created the first automated sampling prototype for mycotoxin analysis.
• RnD64supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 February 2018RnD64 provided engineering and R&D services to BIOsens as part of the EBRD Climate Innovation Vouchers programme, contributing to technical documentation and engineering prototype development.
• EIT FoodmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2017EIT Food supported BIOsens through the Entrepreneurship Winter School program hosted by Technical University of Munich and Cambridge University. Andrii Karpiuk received training from idea to working model presentation.
• Kickstart Accelerator (Switzerland)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2017BIOsens was one of 30 teams selected from 1,500+ applications from 86 countries to participate in Kickstart Accelerator in Switzerland. The program has 60+ corporate partners. During the program, BIOsens learned that accurate sensors plus sample preparation are both critical for customers.
• IoT HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2016BIOsens participated in IoT Hub acceleration program where the biosensor underwent significant improvements. The company received its first pre-seed investment during Demo Day and graduated from the program with improved prototype.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Neogen Corporation: Neogen is a direct peer offering food safety testing products including mycotoxin diagnostic kits (Reveal, Veratox) and analytical instruments, serving grain, feed, and food processors globally - directly comparable in product category and customer base to BIOsens.
• Romer Labs: Romer Labs specializes in mycotoxin testing solutions including rapid lateral flow kits and analytical reference materials, serving food and feed industries worldwide - a direct peer in mycotoxin-specific diagnostics.
• R-Biopharm: R-Biopharm develops mycotoxin test kits (RIDA, RIDASCREEN) and analytical instruments for food and feed safety, with overlapping electrochemical and immunoassay platforms - a direct competitor in mycotoxin detection.
• Envirologix: Envirologix produces rapid lateral flow tests for mycotoxins (QuickTox) used at grain elevators and food processing facilities, directly overlapping BIOsens' value proposition of fast on-site mycotoxin testing.
• Charm Sciences: Charm Sciences provides rapid food safety testing including mycotoxin lateral flow kits (ROSAAQ, SL) and ATP hygiene systems, serving similar agricultural commodity customers with comparable portable diagnostic technology.

Emerging players

• Hygiena: Hygiena is a specialist in rapid food safety diagnostics including ATP hygiene monitoring and molecular tests; while their mycotoxin footprint is smaller, their rapid-portable diagnostic model parallels BIOsens' approach to field-based testing.

Broad incumbents

• 3M Food Safety: 3M offers a broad portfolio of food safety testing products (PetriFilm, molecular detection assays) across the food industry including allergen and indicator testing; a broad incumbent whose distribution scale BIOsens would need to compete with for shelf space at processors.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad provides life science research and clinical diagnostics including iQ-Check real-time PCR pathogen detection systems for food; broader incumbent in food safety testing platforms with overlapping analytical instrument strategy.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is the largest global food testing laboratory network and offers analytical services including mycotoxin testing; represents the incumbent centralized-lab model BIOsens is positioning to disrupt with portable biosensors.
• SGS SA: SGS provides agricultural and food testing services including mycotoxin analysis across 1,000+ labs globally; the largest third-party laboratory competitor whose established accreditation and customer relationships are the primary incumbent BIOsens is targeting to disintermediate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BIOsensUA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bio-sens
• Instagraminstagram.com/biosens.inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BIOsens Inc.