FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 12, 2020
Livermore, CA — Livermore startup Kaya17 develops innovative point-of-care testing (POCT) solutions to detect various diseases. Kaya17’s recent request for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for their 15-minute POCT solution to detect COVID-19 antigens using saliva is currently under review by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Once approved, Kaya 17 is poised to manufacture and ship the test kits.
Emerging technology in molecular biology and electronic instrumentation makes Kaya17’s POTC technology possible. The company’s simple, quick and accurate diagnostic eliminates the need to send samples to a central testing laboratory.
Kaya17’s proprietary design brings 15-minute medical diagnostics solutions to schools, offices, airports, hospitals and doctors’ offices. Local founder and CEO of Kaya17, Dr. Sulatha Dwarakanath, says: “Providing rapid, on-the-spot tests using a small instrument but with the same accuracy as PCR required an entirely novel technology. This is the kind of test that is required to rapidly screen and isolate infected people to open up business and schools.”
Daybreak Labs in Livermore has been integral to the company’s progress. i-GATE Innovation Hub’s executive director, Brandon Cardwell, is not surprised to see a Daybreak Labs alum positioned to improve human health. “Kaya17 is an example of how the companies at Daybreak Labs apply their creativity in an environment rich with expertise so they can rise to meet the challenges to the health of our communities.”
“Thanks to the support of Daybreak Labs and i-GATE Innovation Hub, we are now in a position to act quickly when threats like COVID-19 impact our world,“ says Dr. Dwarakanath.
About Kaya17
Kaya17 is a Livermore, CA-based company with a team of scientists dedicated to developing point-of-care test (POCT) technology using a compact instrument that fits in a briefcase. Kaya17 has developed 15-minute tests for cervical and ovarian cancer, certain allergens, food pathogens, and COVID-19. To learn more visit https://kaya17.com.
About i-GATE Innovation Hub and Daybreak Labs
i-GATE Innovation Hub supports a thriving startup community in the Bay Area’s Tri-Valley region. i-GATE operates a life sciences and hard tech incubator, Daybreak Labs. They also run the NextTech Speaker Series, and the Tri-Valley Life Sciences Summit. Visit http://www.igateihub.org/ and https://daybreaklabs.io for more information.
Press Contact: Yolanda Fintschenko, yolanda@foundertraction.com, 925-784-3597.
