TickReport

What TickReport does

TickReport is a mail-in tick testing service operated by MedZu Inc., founded in 2006 and headquartered in Amherst, Massachusetts. The company uses DNA and RNA molecular testing methods to detect disease-causing pathogens in customer-submitted tick specimens, with capabilities spanning 7 bacterial/parasitic pathogens in deer ticks (including Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease), 8 pathogens in non-deer tick species (including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and STARI), and 7 viruses via RNA testing (including Powassan virus, Heartland virus, and Colorado Tick Fever virus). Each test includes tick species identification, high-resolution photomicrographs, and feeding status assessment, with results delivered via secure email within 1-3 business days.

The business is structured as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce operation: customers self-serve orders through tickreport.com, mail specimens to the Amherst laboratory, and pay per-tick fees across three tiers ($60 Basic DNA, $100 Standard DNA+RNA, $200 Comprehensive). Pricing is pay-as-you-go with no subscription required, and bulk pricing is offered for 5+ sample orders. The company serves two primary segments — individual consumers seeking exposure risk information after outdoor tick encounters, and health agencies/researchers participating in the Tick-Borne Disease Network passive surveillance program — with the consumer segment comprising the bulk of revenue. TickReport reports a 96% client recommendation rate and has tested more than 95,000 ticks cumulatively since founding. The firm operates with 1-10 employees, is independently owned with no disclosed outside funding, and supplements consumer channels with referral partnerships to URI's TickEncounter.org and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Name

TickReport

Legal name

MedZu Inc.

Website

https://www.tickreport.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TickReport is a mail-in tick testing service operated by MedZu Inc. that uses DNA and RNA molecular assays to detect tick-borne pathogens, serving individual consumers and health agencies with results delivered within 1-3 business days.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diagnostic Laboratory Services

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Tick-Borne & Vector-Borne Diseases (HLAKAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Field Epidemiology & Contact Tracing (HLAJABAD)

Keywords

• Tick testing services
• Mail-in pathogen detection
• Tick-borne disease testing
• DNA RNA diagnostics
• Vector-borne laboratory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amherst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tick Testing Services: One-time fee per tick specimen for laboratory testing services. Customers pay upfront via credit card or check when ordering. Results delivered via email with private URL access. No recurring subscription required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TickReport is a mail-in tick testing service that accepts customer-submitted tick specimens at its Amherst, Massachusetts laboratory and uses DNA and RNA molecular methods to detect disease-causing pathogens, including those responsible for Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus. Results include species identification, photomicrographs, and feeding-status assessment, and are delivered via secure email within 1–3 business days.

Product overview

TickReport™ is a single tick testing service offering delivered in three tiered packages. The core TickReport™ service accepts tick specimens by mail, performs species identification and pathogen analysis using DNA and RNA testing methods, and delivers results via secure email within 1-3 business days. The three test packages—Basic DNA Test ($60), Standard DNA & RNA Test ($100), and Comprehensive Test ($200)—represent progressive capability tiers, with the Basic tier covering bacterial and parasitic DNA detection, the Standard tier adding viral RNA detection, and the Comprehensive tier including all available tests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TickReport™ Tick Testing Service Mail-in tick testing service that analyzes submitted tick specimens at the Amherst, Massachusetts laboratory using DNA and RNA molecular methods to detect disease-causing pathogens, including those responsible for Lyme disease. Includes species identification, photomicrographs, and feeding-status assessment, with secure results delivered via email within 1–3 business days. For individual consumers and health agencies.
• Basic DNA Test Entry-level tick testing package priced at $60 per specimen that detects DNA of seven pathogens in deer ticks (Blacklegged ticks), including Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti, and DNA of eight pathogens in non-deer tick species, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and STARI in Lone Star ticks. Includes species identification, photomicrographs, and feeding-status assessment.
• Standard DNA & RNA Test Mid-tier tick testing package priced at $100 per specimen that includes all DNA-based pathogen detection from the Basic tier plus RNA-based testing for seven viruses found in North American ticks, including Powassan virus and Heartland virus. Includes species identification, photomicrographs, and feeding-status assessment.
• Comprehensive Test Top-tier tick testing package priced at $200 per specimen that includes all DNA and RNA testing plus additional pathogen detections such as Ehrlichia canis, Bartonella henselae, Babesia duncani, and Babesia divergens, covering the broadest panel of bacterial, parasitic, and viral pathogens across all tick species. Includes species identification, photomicrographs, and feeding-status assessment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Results delivered within 1-3 business days; 96% client recommendation rate

Named customers3 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• University of Rhode Island (TickEncounter.org)minorOthersTickEncounter.org is referenced as a recommended resource for tick prevention and education. TickReport directs customers to this partner for information about ways to protect themselves from ticks.
• Mass.gov (Massachusetts Department of Public Health)minorOthersMassachusetts Department of Public Health tick-borne disease website is referenced as a local resource for Massachusetts residents seeking information about tick-borne diseases.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IGeneX: Specialty reference laboratory focused on tick-borne and related infectious disease testing (Lyme, Babesia, Bartonella, etc.). IGeneX competes directly with TickReport for consumers and clinicians seeking multi-pathogen tick panel results outside mainstream clinical labs.
• Galaxy Diagnostics: Reference lab offering advanced tick-borne pathogen panels (Bartonella, Borrelia, Babesia) targeting both human and veterinary samples. Overlaps with TickReport on multi-pathogen molecular tick testing and on the direct-to-consumer / clinician hybrid go-to-market.
• Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (MDL): Commercial clinical laboratory offering PCR-based tick panel testing (Lyme, Babesia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia) often ordered through physicians. Comparable to TickReport on molecular pathogen detection methodology and target pathogens, though distribution is clinician-driven rather than direct-to-consumer.
• Coppe Laboratories: Specialty lab offering tick-borne and co-infection panels using PCR and serology. Competes with TickReport for consumers and practitioners wanting broader pathogen coverage than standard clinical labs provide.
• VDI Laboratory: Veterinary diagnostic laboratory with tick-borne disease testing for companion animals. Comparable to TickReport on the underlying molecular detection capability, but focused on the veterinary channel — an adjacent expansion market for TickReport.

Broad incumbents

• Quest Diagnostics: Large national reference laboratory that offers tick-borne disease serology and PCR panels through clinicians and payers. Represents the established, insurance-reimbursable alternative that TickReport's out-of-pocket consumer model is positioned against.
• Labcorp: Major clinical reference network offering Lyme and other tick-borne disease testing through physician channels. Comparable on test menu overlap; differentiated by insurance coverage, scale, and clinician-driven distribution.
• ARUP Laboratories: Academic-affiliated reference laboratory offering specialized infectious disease and tick-borne panels for hospitals and clinicians. Comparable on esoteric testing capabilities but oriented to institutional buyers rather than consumers.
• Mayo Clinic Laboratories: Reference testing arm of Mayo Clinic offering validated tick-borne disease assays to healthcare providers worldwide. Comparable on molecular and serologic methodology; differs on brand prestige, payer relationships, and clinician-only distribution.

Emerging players

• Clongen Laboratories: Contract research and clinical laboratory offering PCR-based infectious disease testing, including tick-borne pathogen detection. Comparable on molecular testing technology and pathogen menu, though typically positioned to research clients rather than direct consumers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tickreport
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCumUfZnvfOKaa5n4h9-WAQA
• Facebookfacebook.com/TickReport
• Instagraminstagram.com/tickreport
• TikToktiktok.com/@tickreport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 TickReport