What Kaycha Labs does

Kaycha Labs (legal entity Kaycha Group Inc.) is the largest multi-state operator in U.S. cannabis and hemp testing, operating nine ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories across Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and North Carolina, with three additional sites planned. The company provides comprehensive third-party analytical services covering potency (HPLC), terpenes (GC), pesticides (LC-MS/MS), heavy metals (ICP-MS), residual solvents, microbials (qPCR/plating), mycotoxins, lipids, nutrient content, environmental screening, and shelf-life stability testing for licensed cannabis cultivators, extractors, manufacturers, retailers, and hemp producers. The proprietary PureLIMS platform unifies sample tracking, Certificate of Analysis (COA) generation with QR-coded security, business intelligence reporting, and integrations with seed-to-sale, POS, and marketing systems (MJ Buddy, Weedmaps, Leafly), serving as the company's principal software moat.

The business operates on a transaction-based per-sample fee model, with quote-based pricing that varies by state regulatory requirements, sample matrix, and test panel scope. Customers register and submit samples through the PureLIMS portal, and most locations offer 48-hour standard turnaround; the Miramar, FL facility processes more than 300 samples per day. GTM motion is enterprise field sales targeting multi-state operators and regional licensed producers, supported by refrigerated van sample pickup and direct account management. Beyond core lab services, the company operates the MH Verify HLVd in-field test kit subsidiary, The Hemp Institute research division, and the MJ Buddy marketing platform. Leadership includes CEO James Horvath, President Chris Martinez, CSO Stephen Goldman, COO John Schwartz, and CFO Alan Silverman (newly created role). Notable forward-looking risk includes a December 2025 Arizona recall event involving pesticide Spinosad misreporting at the Kaycha Arizona facility.

Name

Kaycha Labs

Legal name

Kaycha Group Inc

Website

https://kaychalabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kaycha Labs is the largest US multi-state cannabis and hemp testing operator, running nine ISO-accredited labs that provide full-panel analytical services and the proprietary PureLIMS platform to licensed cultivators, extractors, manufacturers, retailers, and hemp producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cannabis and Hemp Testing Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Residue & Contaminant Testing (Pesticides, Vet Drugs, Mycotoxins, Heavy Metals) (AFALAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Laboratory Analysis Services (Wet Chemistry, Microbiology for Grains) (AFAOAMAJ), Release Testing & Batch Certification (QC) (HLAGADAC)

Keywords

• Cannabis testing
• Hemp testing
• Analytical laboratory
• Compliance testing
• Potency profiling

Headquarters

HQ city

Davie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cannabis and Hemp Testing Services: Per-sample testing fees for comprehensive cannabis and hemp product testing. Services include potency, terpene, pesticide, heavy metal, residual solvent, microbial, mycotoxin, lipid, nutrient content, environmental, and shelf life testing. Clients submit samples via PureLIMS portal and receive Certificates of Analysis upon completion. Revenue is transaction-based based on sample volume and test panel complexity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kaycha Labs operates a multi-state network of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited cannabis and hemp testing laboratories providing analytical services including potency, terpene, pesticide, heavy metal, residual solvent, microbial, mycotoxin, lipid, nutrient content, environmental, and shelf-life testing. The company delivers Certificates of Analysis through its proprietary PureLIMS platform and supports clients via a fleet of refrigerated sample pickup vans.

Product overview

Kaycha Labs operates as a multi-state cannabis testing laboratory network offering a comprehensive testing platform centered on PureLIMS Software. The portfolio includes core potency, terpene, pesticide, heavy metals, residual solvents, microbials, mycotoxins, lipids, nutrient content, environmental, and shelf life testing services across 9 laboratory locations. The company also offers the MH Verify HLVd Field Test Kit for in-field viroid detection and operates The Hemp Institute for research. PureLIMS serves as the unifying platform providing automated COA generation, sample tracking, and business intelligence across all testing operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Potency Testing High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) testing providing detailed cannabinoid profiling across 14 components including CBD, CBL, THC isomers, and CBN. Validated by cannabis certification program exceeding AOAC, WHO, and state-testing requirements. Targeted at licensed cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, and processors.
• Terpenes Testing Gas chromatography testing to identify and quantify 28 distinct terpene analytes, providing information about aroma, taste, and medicinal properties. Used by cannabis cultivators and manufacturers for product labeling and quality profiling.
• Pesticides Testing

Quantifiable outcome

• 48-hour standard turnaround time for testing results
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MH VerifycoreTechnology or Integration · 12 October 2021Wholly owned affiliate offering Hop Latent Viroid (HLVd) In-Field Testing Kit solution. Uses isothermal amplification technology for on-site pathogen detection within one hour. Provides cultivators with early detection capabilities to prevent crop contamination and losses.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2021Participation in NIST's Cannabis Quality Assurance Program (CannaQAP) interlaboratory testing programs. Five Kaycha lab locations participated in Exercise 1 (potency with 17 cannabinoids) and Exercise 2 (potency, heavy metals, moisture). Aimed at addressing need for standardized testing protocols and consistent reporting.
• TEQ Analytical LaboratoriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2021Two Colorado-based leaders in independent cannabis lab testing market combined resources to become state's highest value-added testing company. Companies agreed to operate under Kaycha brand and consolidated operations at Kaycha Lab's 879 Federal Boulevard location in Denver. TEQ clients gained access to Kaycha's PureLIMS software platform.
• Evio Labs (Medford, Oregon)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2021Acquisition of Evio Labs in Medford, Oregon, which commenced operations in 2014. Early entrant to Oregon market with established client relationships and testing capabilities.
• DB Labs (Las Vegas, Nevada)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2021Signed definitive agreement to acquire DB Labs pending Clark County and Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board approvals. DB Labs opened in 2014 and was first lab to test cannabis in Nevada. 11,000 square foot facility several blocks from Las Vegas Strip.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Anresco Laboratories: Independent analytical testing lab with a dedicated cannabis testing division operating in California. Offers similar potency, pesticide, residual solvent, and microbial panels to licensed cannabis clients and is a direct competitor for California cannabis testing volume.
• Confident Cannabis: Cannabis testing platform and lab network providing COA aggregation and compliance testing services across multiple states. Comparable to Kaycha's PureLIMS-enabled multi-state COA model and competes for the same MSO testing customers.
• SC Laboratories: Multi-state cannabis testing operator with labs in California, Michigan, and Arizona. Direct competitor to Kaycha in cannabis compliance testing for cultivators, processors, and manufacturers, with overlapping testing panels and state accreditations.
• ACS Laboratory: Florida-based cannabis and hemp testing laboratory accredited to ISO 17025. Directly competes with Kaycha's Florida operations (Davie, Miramar) on potency, terpene, pesticide, and microbial testing for the FL MMTC market.
• MCR Labs: Massachusetts-based cannabis testing laboratory serving licensed operators in the Northeast. Direct competitor to Kaycha's Natick, MA lab with overlapping ISO 17025 accreditation and full-panel cannabis compliance testing.
• ACT Laboratories: Multi-state cannabis testing operator with locations in Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Canada. Direct competitor for cannabis compliance testing across multiple state markets with similar ISO 17025 accreditation and MSO customer focus.
• CannTest: Washington-state cannabis testing laboratory offering potency, terpene, pesticide, residual solvent, and microbial panels to licensed producers and processors. Comparable in scope to a single Kaycha lab location and overlaps on methodology and customer profile.
• Modern Canna Science: Florida-based cannabis testing laboratory (formerly Modern Botany) operating in the same Florida MMTC market as Kaycha. Offers similar full-panel compliance testing and competes head-to-head for Florida-licensed cultivators and processors.

Broad incumbents

• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification company offering agricultural and food testing services that can extend into hemp and cannabis compliance. Represents the broad-incumbent threat as cannabis testing matures and standards converge, similar to Eurofins.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global laboratory services giant with a dedicated cannabis testing practice serving North American clients. While not exclusively focused on cannabis, Eurofins applies deep analytical chemistry and food/pharma testing capabilities to cannabis and hemp, representing a broad incumbent that could encroach on Kaycha's mid-market MSO customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kaychalabs

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Kaycha Labs