Oxford Technology Invests in Accelerated Diagnostics for One-Minute On-Farm Disease Testing

Funding will support commercial launch of ultra-rapid veterinary diagnostic platform targeting bovine tuberculosis, Newcastle disease and other livestock infections

LONDON, United Kingdom — UK venture capital firm Oxford Technology, which specialises in science and technology start-ups, has invested in Accelerated Diagnostics, a biotechnology company developing an ultra-rapid point-of-care diagnostic platform capable of detecting infectious diseases on farms in as little as one minute. The investment is expected to support the company’s commercial launch later this year and extend its operational runway through 2027 as it prepares for its first product sales.

The funding, made through Oxford Technology’s Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) investment funds, reflects growing investor confidence in rapid veterinary diagnostics as livestock industries seek faster, more affordable tools for disease surveillance, biosecurity and outbreak response.

Rapid Diagnosis at the Point of Care

Accelerated Diagnostics has developed a portable testing platform designed to identify pathogens directly from saliva samples, eliminating the need to transport specimens to central laboratories for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.

According to the company, the technology can identify targeted infectious agents within approximately 60 seconds, potentially enabling veterinarians and livestock producers to make immediate disease management decisions while animals remain on the farm. The platform is expected to enter the market during autumn 2026.

Unlike conventional laboratory diagnostics, which may require sample transport and processing times ranging from several hours to multiple days, point-of-care systems can significantly shorten the interval between disease suspicion and intervention.

Initial Focus on Veterinary Applications

Accelerated Diagnostics plans to commercialise the platform first within the veterinary sector, where regulatory pathways are generally shorter than those for human medical diagnostics.

The company’s initial development programme focuses on:

• Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) detection in cattle;

• Newcastle disease surveillance in poultry;

• additional veterinary infectious diseases through pathogen-specific testing reagents.

The technology has been designed as a flexible platform, allowing new assays to be developed for different pathogens without fundamentally changing the underlying testing system. Company executives have also indicated that the platform could eventually be adapted for selected human healthcare applications.

Addressing a Growing Need for Faster Disease Detection

Rapid diagnosis has become an increasingly important priority for livestock industries as producers confront emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance and stricter biosecurity requirements.

Early identification of infected animals can reduce disease transmission, improve treatment decisions and minimise production losses. This is particularly relevant for diseases that trigger movement restrictions, trade disruptions or compulsory eradication programmes.

Globally, demand for molecular veterinary diagnostics continues to grow. Market analysts estimate the veterinary molecular diagnostics market will reach approximately US$1.81 billion in 2026 and expand to US$2.74 billion by 2031, representing a compound annual growth rate of about 8.6%. Growth is being driven by increasing disease surveillance, expanding livestock production and greater adoption of rapid diagnostic technologies.

Investment Supports Commercial Expansion

Oxford Technology said the investment will provide Accelerated Diagnostics with sufficient capital to continue product development, complete commercial preparations and begin generating revenue through its first product launches.

The investment also supports further expansion of the company’s diagnostic portfolio for both veterinary and, potentially, future human healthcare markets.

Oxford Technology founder Lucius Cary said rapid, affordable point-of-care diagnostics have the potential to improve disease control while lowering costs for producers and healthcare systems. Accelerated Diagnostics co-founder Dr. Mana Saeed said the funding would accelerate development of rapid diagnostic tests for animal and human health, with veterinary applications representing the company’s initial commercial priority.

Potential Benefits for Livestock Producers

Portable diagnostic systems capable of delivering results within minutes could offer several practical advantages for livestock operations:

• Earlier identification of infectious diseases before widespread transmission.

• Faster isolation of infected animals.

• Reduced dependence on laboratory infrastructure.

• Improved outbreak response and farm biosecurity.

• More targeted use of veterinary medicines.

• Lower production losses associated with delayed diagnosis.

For veterinarians, near real-time testing could improve decision-making during farm visits and reduce the number of repeat visits required while awaiting laboratory results.

Implications for Animal Health Innovation

The investment highlights increasing interest from venture capital firms in veterinary health technologies, particularly solutions that combine biotechnology, engineering and digital diagnostics.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated global awareness of rapid diagnostic technologies, and many companies are now adapting similar concepts for veterinary medicine, where timely disease detection is equally important for protecting animal health, food security and international trade.

Rapid point-of-care diagnostics are expected to become increasingly important as governments strengthen surveillance programmes for transboundary animal diseases and livestock producers seek more efficient tools for disease monitoring.

Outlook

Oxford Technology’s investment provides Accelerated Diagnostics with financial support to move its one-minute testing platform towards commercialisation at a time when demand for rapid livestock diagnostics continues to grow.

If commercial validation confirms the platform’s reported performance under field conditions, the technology could offer producers and veterinarians a practical alternative to laboratory-based testing for selected infectious diseases, supporting earlier intervention, stronger farm biosecurity and improved disease surveillance.

With veterinary medicine identified as the company’s first commercial market and additional applications planned for the future, the investment also reflects broader momentum behind innovation in point-of-care diagnostics as an integral component of modern livestock health management.