Maryland small business fighting against food borne pathogens
COLUMBIA, Md. (May 23, 2023) – TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a Venture Funds investment of $300,000 into Pathotrak, a biotechnology company.
“Until Pathotrak, producers would need to wait for the results of pathogen tests, leading to costly warehousing and refrigeration costs,” said Javier Atencia, CEO and founder of Pathotrak. “Through our innovative solution, we are eliminating this need by cutting down the time it takes to get results, which will also help prevent costly recalls and food waste.”
Pathotrak, based in College Park, Md., is a business with the mission to create a world with fresher and safer food using cost-efficient innovative technology. This technology will allow the expedition of foodborne pathogen detection, providing companies and producers with faster results, and ultimately shortening what is typically a 22-hour process down to under six hours. This rapid detection process has the potential to decrease food waste, allowing products to be placed on shelves up to an entire day earlier while also reducing the costs of food production—from the costly warehousing and refrigeration processes to the expensive recalls.
“Pathotrak’s innovative thinking has the potential to change the food industry, saving producers money while also limiting food borne illnesses,” said Katherine Hill Ritchie, TEDCO’s senior director of Venture Funds. “This kind of innovation is why TEDCO exists—we are looking to make an impact and create a better future, all while growing Maryland’s innovation economy.”
Pathotrak has been a portfolio company with TEDCO for the past several years, having received funding and support from the Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) and N-STEP (NIST – Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Program).
TEDCO’s evergreen Venture Funds are dedicated to supporting the growth of the next generation of early-stage businesses in Maryland; these funds are one of the many investment opportunities available through TEDCO to qualifying technology startups and small businesses. For more information about TEDCO and our investment opportunities, click here.