Noze

About Noze

Noze, founded as Stratuscent in 2015 by Dr. Ashok Masilamani, is a Canadian company specializing in digital odor perception for healthcare diagnostics. The company's core technology, which digitizes the sense of smell, is built upon patents exclusively licensed from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This platform mimics the mammalian sensory process, using a sensor chip with chemical receptors to generate a digital "scentprint" from which an AI engine identifies specific odors by filtering out background interference.

The company is focused on applying its digital olfaction platform to healthcare, specifically through breath-based diagnostics. Its flagship product is the DiagNoze®, a handheld, non-invasive breathalyzer designed for real-time disease detection at the point-of-care. This device analyzes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath, which can indicate the presence of various medical conditions long before physical symptoms appear. The platform demonstrated its capability during the COVID-19 pandemic by detecting airborne markers from infected individuals. Noze aims to provide a low-cost, portable, and accessible diagnostic tool that can be used in diverse settings, from hospitals to a patient's home, eliminating the need for blood draws or complex lab equipment.

A primary application for the DiagNoze® system is the detection of infectious diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, particularly in low and middle-income countries where traditional screening is often hindered by high costs, limited access, and slow results. The company also has ongoing clinical studies for other conditions, including cancers and metabolic disorders. Noze's business model is centered on the development and deployment of this diagnostic platform. A significant part of its funding has come from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which provided grants and a $5 million equity investment, marking the foundation's first such investment in a Canadian company. This brought the foundation's total contribution to $6.8 million. Karim Aly serves as the CEO, leading the company's mission to transform healthcare delivery on a global scale.