Anemo Labs, a London-based deeptech company, has raised £700,000 ($860,000) in pre-seed funding to develop an artificial intelligence-powered electronic nose capable of detecting disease-related compounds through smell analysis.
The funding round was led by Zinc and SFC Capital, with additional support from Innovate UK, a government innovation agency. The capital injection comes as the company, founded in 2025, moves forward with commercializing its olfactory diagnostics platform designed for non-invasive disease screening.
Technology and Application
Anemo Labs’ core technology focuses on analyzing volatile organic compounds present in urine samples to identify disease markers before clinical symptoms manifest. Rather than relying on conventional diagnostic methods, the company’s electronic nose combines sensor chemistry with machine learning algorithms to detect patterns associated with various conditions.
“Olfaction provides a non‑invasive, passive and continuous medium to screen for a number of diseases. Our mission is to enable clinicians and individuals catch disease even before symptoms appear,” said Koye Sodipo, addressing the startup’s approach to early disease detection.
The non-invasive nature of the technology positions it as a potential screening tool for both clinical settings and personal health monitoring applications. By leveraging artificial intelligence to interpret olfactory data, Anemo Labs aims to create a diagnostic method that could complement existing healthcare infrastructure.
Deployment of Funds
The newly secured capital will be allocated toward three primary objectives. First, the company will focus on developing and refining its sensor chemistry to improve detection accuracy and sensitivity. Second, Anemo Labs plans to expand its smell data collection and labelling capabilities, which are essential for training machine learning models effectively. Third, the startup will continue validating its olfactory diagnostics platform in collaboration with clinical partners, a critical step toward regulatory approval and real-world deployment.
This phased approach reflects typical deeptech development timelines, where establishing scientific credibility and clinical validation precedes wider market adoption.
Broader Ecosystem Context
The funding represents continued investor confidence in European deeptech ventures, particularly those addressing healthcare diagnostics through novel technological approaches. The combination of venture capital backing from Zinc and SFC Capital alongside government support through Innovate UK demonstrates the broader ecosystem’s commitment to supporting early-stage companies tackling complex scientific challenges.
Within the UK startup landscape, healthcare-focused deeptech companies have increasingly attracted attention as investors recognize the potential for artificial intelligence and advanced sensing technologies to reshape diagnostic medicine. Anemo Labs joins a growing cohort of companies reimagining disease detection methods, competing in a space where traditional diagnostics face limitations around speed, accessibility, and patient comfort.
The startup’s pre-seed success positions it to progress toward subsequent funding rounds as it advances clinical validation and prepares for potential commercialization within European healthcare systems.