College Park-based company secures additional investment to advance food safety technology
COLUMBIA, Md., (February 25, 2025) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent $250,000 Venture Funds investment in Pathotrak. TEDCO’s evergreen Venture Funds are dedicated to funding and growing the next generation of early-stage technology and life sciences businesses in Maryland. Through this fund, companies are offered an experienced team that is focused on supporting the entrepreneurial journey.
“Ensuring food safety is a growing challenge, and current testing methods are often slow and costly for producers,” said Javier Atencia, CEO of Pathotrak. “With TEDCO’s continued support, we are advancing our technology in an effort to shorten the time required for pathogen detection, empowering manufacturers with what we hope are faster, more reliable solutions.”
Based in College Park, Md., Pathotrak has developed patented technology that aims to reduce the time required for detecting foodborne pathogens, cutting the process from a typical 22-hour enrichment to just five and a half hours. By enabling faster and more efficient testing, Pathotrak is dedicated to helping minimize food waste, reduce the cost of recalls, and improve overall food safety standards.
“Pathotrak is working to advance food safety with technology that can positively impact the entire supply chain,” said Katherine Hill Ritchie, TEDCO’s senior director of Venture Funds. “Pathotrak’s ability to continue their efforts in advancing food safety technology is strengthened by TEDCO’s continued support, enabling the company to continue scaling its innovative solutions to hopefully bring faster, more efficient pathogen detection to the entire food production industry.”
Pathotrak has previously benefited from funding and support through TEDCO’s various programs, including the Venture Funds, Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) and the NIST – Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Program (N-STEP).
“As one of the top three educated states in the country, Maryland is a prime location for budding and growing technology and life sciences businesses,” TEDCO CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall explained. “With a talented workforce, plenty of universities and colleges, and great opportunities, companies will find themselves inundated with brilliant minds looking for work.”
TEDCO’s evergreen Venture Funds are just one of the many investment opportunities available to qualifying technology-focused startups and small businesses across Maryland. For more information, visit our page at https://www.tedcomd.com/funding.