Karius

Karius is a life sciences company focused on the genomic diagnosis of infectious diseases. The company leverages next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to analyze microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) from blood samples. Its flagship product. The Karius Test can detect ~1,000 pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, from a single draw of blood, providing results within one day.

Key customers and partnerships

Karius serves a range of healthcare institutions across the US, including hospitals, transplant centers, and children's hospitals. The company's diagnostic solutions are employed to improve patient outcomes by enabling faster and more accurate detection of pathogens.

In April 2023, Karius partnered with eGenesis, a firm specializing in xenotransplantation to expand Karius's microbial cell-free DNA sequencing platform to predict porcine pathogen presence, critical for the progression of xenotransplantation. As part of the collaboration, Karius's platform will be used to detect and quantify potential pathogens in pig organ donors, foundational for the xenotransplantation process from pigs to primates and eventually to humans.

Funding and financials

In May 2024, Karius secured USD 100 million in Series C funding, co-led by Khosla Ventures, 5AM Ventures, and Gilde Healthcare. Other participants included Seventure Partners, Softbank Vision Fund 2, General Catalyst, HBM Healthcare Investments, Blue Water Life Sciences, Waycross Ventures, and Innovation Endeavors. The funds were planned to be used to expand access to the Karius Test beyond the hospital setting, address growing demand, and explore the broader health implications of their mcfDNA technology beyond infectious diseases.