Hound Labs

About Hound Labs

Hound Labs, Inc., founded in 2014 by Dr. Mike Lynn and Kuni Oh, is a California-based company at the forefront of developing breath analysis technology to address pressing public health and safety challenges. Dr. Lynn, an emergency room physician, venture capitalist, and reserve deputy sheriff, conceived of the idea after witnessing the limitations of existing drug tests in determining recent cannabis use, particularly in the context of roadside safety and workplace impairment. His co-founder, Kuni Oh, brought extensive experience in engineering and business development to the enterprise. This combination of medical, law enforcement, and technical expertise underpins the company's core mission.

The company's principal offering is the HOUND® CANNABIS BREATHALYZER, a tool designed to objectively measure recent cannabis use by detecting THC molecules in breath. This technology is engineered to identify active THC for a period of two to three hours following consumption, a timeframe intended to align with the typical window of peak impairment. The system comprises two main components: a single-use disposable cartridge and a handheld base station for sample collection, followed by analysis in a compact desktop instrument that provides results in minutes. This methodology distinguishes it from traditional tests like urinalysis, which can detect cannabis metabolites for days or weeks after use, thereby not differentiating between on-the-job impairment and off-duty consumption.

Hound Labs targets employers and law enforcement agencies as its primary client base. The business model operates by providing a solution that allows organizations to enforce policies against workday cannabis use while respecting employee privacy and legal off-duty consumption. As cannabis legalization expands, companies face the challenge of maintaining workplace safety without penalizing employees for their legal personal activities, a balance the HOUND® solution aims to strike. The company has secured funding from a diverse group of investors, including Benchmark, Icon Ventures, and NFP Ventures, to support its research, development, and commercialization efforts.