Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH

What Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH does

Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH is a Heidelberg-based molecular diagnostics company founded in 2006 that develops blood-based small RNA tests for early disease detection, therapy response prediction, and treatment monitoring. Its core platform, mirCator, integrates proprietary pre-analytical sample processing (miRCollect), next-generation sequencing-based small RNA quantification with blocking technology to uncover hidden RNA species, and AI/ML-powered analysis tools (ClassiFynder for biomarker discovery, TransfoRNA for language-model-based RNA annotation). The lead clinical product, miLung/miLungDx, is an 18-small RNA signature blood test for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer detection positioned as a non-invasive alternative to LDCT screening; an Alzheimer's blood-biomarker program is in development with the EPAD consortium and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. The supporting miR-Blood atlas, a published dataset covering 4,971 small RNAs across plasma and ten purified cell-type populations, underpins both internal R&D and external scientific positioning.

The company monetizes through a mix of diagnostic testing services, biomarker discovery and companion diagnostics partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and platform licensing/partnering arrangements. Its go-to-market is B2B enterprise field sales targeting academic medical centers, clinical research networks, and pharma sponsors — not direct-to-consumer. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; tests are delivered via clinical laboratory services where blood samples collected at partner sites are shipped to Hummingbird for analysis, with results returned to providers. Revenue figures are not disclosed; the company is privately held, venture-backed (lead investor GreyBird Ventures), and remains at a pre-commercial clinical-validation stage with a US pivotal study (NCT05987189, 2,000 patients) underway and the founder (Jochen Kohlhaas) transitioning from CEO to Managing Director/CFO as a new US-based CEO (Vincent Lozada) was appointed in January 2026.

Name

Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH

Legal name

Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH

Website

https://hummingbird-diagnostics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH is a Heidelberg-based molecular diagnostics company developing AI-powered blood-based small RNA tests for early lung cancer detection and Alzheimer's disease, commercialized via B2B clinical laboratory services and pharmaceutical companion diagnostics partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Molecular Diagnostics

NAICS

Medical Laboratories (621511), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Oncology Diagnostics (tumor profiling, MRD, liquid biopsy) (HLAAALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers (ctDNA/ctRNA/CTCs/exosomes) (HLAAAMAH), Molecular Diagnostics & Genomics Laboratories (HLAFAMAE), Genomics & Molecular Diagnostics (Trial Support) (HLAGAEAD)

Keywords

• Blood-based diagnostics
• Small RNA biomarkers
• Lung cancer detection
• Molecular diagnostics
• Liquid biopsy tests

Headquarters

HQ city

Heidelberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Diagnostic Testing Services: Blood-based small RNA diagnostic tests for disease detection, characterization, and monitoring. Products include miLung for lung cancer detection, miLungDx for diagnostic testing, and tests for Alzheimer's disease.
2. Biomarker Discovery & Development Partnerships: Collaborations with pharmaceutical companies for companion diagnostics development and personalized therapy response prediction.
3. Platform Licensing & Partnering: Leveraging mirCator platform expertise to develop innovative solutions for multiple disease areas and applications tailored to partner needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hummingbird Diagnostics develops and performs blood-based molecular diagnostic tests centered on its AI-powered mirCator platform, which analyzes small RNAs (microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs) circulating in whole blood. Its flagship miLung and miLungDx tests detect early-stage non-small cell lung cancer using a validated 18-small RNA signature, with additional research applications in Alzheimer's disease detection and treatment response monitoring. The company serves healthcare providers, academic medical centers, and pharmaceutical partners via clinical laboratory testing services, biomarker discovery collaborations, and platform licensing.

Product overview

Hummingbird Diagnostics offers a platform-plus-modules product architecture centered on the AI-powered mirCator platform. The core offering includes miLung and miLungDx blood tests for lung cancer detection, while the supporting infrastructure consists of miR-Blood atlas/database, Classifynder (ML-based biomarker discovery), TransfoRNA (AI annotation tool), and miRCollect (sample collection). The platform integrates both disease and host immune response biomarkers from whole blood for precision medicine diagnostics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• mirCator: AI-powered platform for analyzing and mapping small RNAs from blood for precision medicine diagnostics
• miR-Blood
• miLung
• miLungDx
• Classifynder
• TransfoRNA
• miRCollect

Products and services

• mirCator Platform AI-powered platform for analyzing and mapping small RNAs from blood that covers sampling through data analysis, enabling early disease detection, therapy response prediction, and treatment monitoring. Licensed and partnered with healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies.
• miLung Small RNA-based blood test for early detection of lung cancer using a validated 18-small RNA signature, positioned as a non-invasive alternative to LDCT screening deployable in primary care settings. Sold to healthcare providers and used in clinical collaborations with academic medical centers.
• miLungDx Blood-based small RNA panel engineered to detect non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), currently in clinical evaluation across 2,000 US patients at sites including Massachusetts General Hospital, Duke University Medical Center, and Brigham and Women's Hospital.
• miR-Blood Atlas High-quality small RNA expression database and atlas providing ultra-deep expression profiling of plasma and ten purified cell-type populations, with expression data for 4,971 small RNAs across 8 non-coding RNA classes, available via interactive dashboard at mir-blood.com.
• miRCollect Sample collection protocol and system for small RNA analysis that eliminates pre-analytical bias, with immediate stabilization and -20°C storage, available via mircollect.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• miLung test validated as non-invasive alternative to LDCT for early-stage lung cancer detection in primary care settings
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia Consortium (EPAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership on Alzheimer's disease biomarker research; multinational study enrolled more than 1,800 individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease.
• Massachusetts General HospitalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical collaboration with Dr. Amita Sharma on miLung small RNA blood test for lung cancer detection research.
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical collaboration with Professor Alexander Bankier on miLung study for lung cancer early detection.
• LungenClinic GrosshansdorfmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical collaboration with Professor Martin Reck and Professor Klaus Rabe on lung cancer research and miLung validation studies.
• Universitaetsmedizin Essen (University Medicine Essen)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical collaboration with Professor Clemens Aigner on multicenter lung cancer study.
• University Hospital F.D. Roosevelt, Banská BystricamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on RNA methylation research in liquid biopsies; plasma samples from lung cancer patients collected for Oxford Nanopore Technologies-based small RNA modification detection study.
• Thoraxklinik HeidelbergmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean clinical partner for lung cancer research and biomarker validation studies.
• Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for direct RNA sequencing to detect small RNA modifications in blood for lung cancer diagnostics.
• Clinical Partners Network (Europe)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of European clinical partners including Clemenshospital, Klinikverbund-Allgaeu, Universitaetsklinikum-Erlangen, Universitaetsmedizin-Goettingen, Zentralinstitut-seelische-Gesundheit for lung cancer and disease research.
• Clinical Partners Network (USA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of US clinical partners including University of Massachusetts, Northside Hospital, Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, University of Utah Hospital, Jacobi Medical Center, Duke University Medical Center, NYC Health and Hospitals, Henry Ford Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, ECU Health for clinical studies.
• Clinical Research OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRO partners including Activian clinical research, 3sync research, Clinical Research Associates for clinical study support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Guardant Health: Guardant Health is a leading liquid biopsy company offering blood-based cancer diagnostics (Guardant360, Shield). It is directly comparable to Hummingbird as a blood-based oncology diagnostics company pursuing non-invasive testing for early detection and treatment monitoring.
• Natera: Natera develops cell-free DNA and RNA-based blood tests across oncology and other indications, including Signatera for MRD. It is a direct peer to Hummingbird's blood-based molecular diagnostics for cancer detection and monitoring.
• Exact Sciences: Exact Sciences commercializes Cologuard and acquired Thrive Earlier Detection, competing in blood-based cancer screening. It is a direct peer pursuing multi-cancer blood-based early detection diagnostics with similar end markets.

Emerging players

• Personalis: Personalis is a cancer genomics company developing ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy tests (NeXT Personal) for MRD and recurrence monitoring. It is an emerging peer with overlapping next-generation sequencing-based blood-based diagnostics for oncology.
• Harbinger Health: Harbinger Health is an early-stage company developing blood-based tests for early cancer detection. It is an emerging peer with overlapping mission in non-invasive early cancer detection; notably, Hummingbird's new CEO previously served as Harbinger's CFO.
• C2N Diagnostics: C2N Diagnostics commercializes the PrecivityAD blood test for Alzheimer's disease detection. It is an emerging peer directly comparable to Hummingbird's Alzheimer's small RNA biomarker program targeting early disease detection.
• Quanterix: Quanterix provides ultra-sensitive biomarker detection platforms (Simoa) used in neurology and oncology research. It is an emerging peer with overlapping blood-based biomarker discovery and detection technology for neurodegenerative disease diagnostics.
• Caris Life Sciences: Caris Life Sciences offers molecular profiling services (MI Profile) and is developing blood-based assays for cancer detection. It is an emerging peer with overlapping AI-driven multi-omic approaches to cancer diagnostics.

Broad incumbents

• Foundation Medicine: Foundation Medicine (a Roche subsidiary) provides comprehensive genomic profiling of solid tumors. It is a broad incumbent in oncology molecular diagnostics with overlapping blood-based and tissue-based testing capabilities for cancer characterization.
• NeoGenomics: NeoGenomics is a clinical laboratory services company offering oncology-focused molecular and genetic testing. It is a broad incumbent serving oncologists with diagnostic services overlapping Hummingbird's clinical lab and tumor profiling positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH