Eindhoven-based ShanX Medtech has secured €24 million in seed funding to revolutionize antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The startup is developing a rapid diagnostic system that identifies the most effective antibiotic for a patient in about one hour, compared with the two to three days required by traditional lab methods.
This investment highlights the urgent need for faster, evidence-based antibiotic prescribing to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Tackling the Bottleneck in Antibiotic Diagnostics
Conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing relies on culturing bacteria from patient samples, which is slow. While waiting for results, clinicians often prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics, increasing the risk of resistance, complications, and longer hospital stays.
ShanX Medtech’s platform bypasses this delay by analyzing patient samples directly. It eliminates steps like subculturing, compressing a multi-day workflow into a rapid, automated process.
At the heart of the system is a single, stackable cartridge capable of testing a wide variety of microbes. This makes it flexible enough to integrate into complex clinical workflows without requiring separate instruments for different pathogens.
Point-of-Care Testing for Faster Treatment
Unlike large laboratory machines, ShanX’s device is compact and designed for use outside central labs. It can operate in GP clinics, nursing homes, and smaller hospitals.
The system automates most of the hands-on work, allowing clinicians to test, diagnose, and prescribe the right antibiotic in a single patient visit. By replacing biological delays with hardware-driven analysis, ShanX aims to make precision antibiotic treatment faster and more accessible.
Funding Supports High-Risk, High-Impact Innovation
The €24 million seed round includes both public and private investment. It was led by Borski Fund, with support from NextGen Ventures, BOM, CbusineZ, and Invest-NL.
A large portion – €8.85 million – comes from a European Commission contract managed through HaDEA. This blended financing helps accelerate development while reducing the risk of bringing advanced antimicrobial susceptibility testing to market.
Benefits for Healthcare Systems and Policy
Same-day antimicrobial susceptibility testing can reduce misuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics, preserving their effectiveness. Faster treatment also shortens hospital stays, lowers treatment failures, and reduces the need for expensive last-resort antibiotics.
According to Invest-NL, widespread adoption of rapid testing in the Netherlands alone could save millions of euros annually, demonstrating both clinical and economic benefits.
Clinical Validation Underway
ShanX Medtech’s system is still under regulatory review. Clinical trials are underway in partnership with Erasmus Medical Center and AMR GLOBAL, focusing first on urinary tract infections.
Additional collaborations with Catharina Hospital and Eindhoven University of Technology are evaluating the system for sepsis and meningitis, where every hour of delay increases patient risk.
These studies will determine whether ShanX’s rapid testing platform becomes a standard tool in antimicrobial susceptibility testing or remains in pilot use.
