# Karius

> Karius is a Redwood City, California life-sciences company that turns a single blood draw into a broad infectious-disease diagnosis. Its flagship Karius Test uses microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) sequencing, metagenomics and AI to detect more than 1,000 pathogens - bacteria, DNA viruses, fungi and parasites - often within a day of receiving a sample. Founded in 2014 out of Stephen Quake's lab at Stanford, the company aims to give clinicians a fast, non-invasive alternative to invasive biopsies and slow cultures, with a focus on the immunocompromised patients who need answers most urgently.

- **Founded:** 2014
- **Headquarters:** Redwood City, California, United States
- **Founders:** Mickey Kertesz (Co-founder & former CEO), Tim Blauwkamp (Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer), Stephen Quake (Scientific co-founder (Stanford lab of origin))
- **Team size:** ~200 employees
- **Products:** Karius Test (Karius Spectrum), Karius Focus | BAL, Biopharma & Clinical Trial Services
- **Notable:** Commercialized the first broadly available metagenomic mcfDNA blood test capable of detecting 1,000+ pathogens from one draw, Adopted by 400+ hospitals, including 90+ transplant centers and 40+ children's hospitals, Raised roughly $345M across Series A-C from investors including Khosla Ventures, SoftBank and General Catalyst

## Products & services

- **Karius Test (Karius Spectrum)** — A metagenomic microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) blood test that detects more than 1,000 pathogens - bacteria, DNA viruses, fungi and parasites - from a single non-invasive blood draw, typically returning results within a day of sample receipt.
- **Karius Focus | BAL** — A microbial cell-free DNA test run on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid to identify pathogens causing pneumonia and other lung infections; detects over 500 pathogens.
- **Biopharma & Clinical Trial Services** — Partnerships with biopharmaceutical companies using Karius's mcfDNA platform for infection surveillance, endpoints and research in clinical trials.

## Achievements

- Commercialized the first broadly available metagenomic mcfDNA blood test capable of detecting 1,000+ pathogens from one draw
- Adopted by 400+ hospitals, including 90+ transplant centers and 40+ children's hospitals
- Raised roughly $345M across Series A-C from investors including Khosla Ventures, SoftBank and General Catalyst
- Published pneumonia study showing the test matched in 24 hours what took hospitals seven days, and detected 40% more infections when added to standard workup
- Received New York State permit for its liquid-biopsy infectious-disease test
- Launched Karius Focus | BAL nationwide in 2025 for lung-infection diagnosis

## Latest updates

- **2025-04** — Launched Karius Focus | BAL nationwide, a mcfDNA test for pneumonia and lung infections detecting 500+ pathogens.
- **2024-05** — Raised $100M Series C co-led by Khosla Ventures, 5AM Ventures and Gilde Healthcare to expand access and address antimicrobial resistance.
- **2024** — Expanded strategic collaboration with Mayo Clinic Laboratories for immunocompromised and hospital-acquired infection diagnostics.

## Links

- Website: https://kariusdx.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kariusinc
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/kariusinc
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/kariustest/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/karius
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-14