Maryland biotech company advances rapid diagnostic platform with new Life Science Investment Fund backing
COLUMBIA, Md., (Aug. 25, 2026) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent $750,000 dual investment in Astek Diagnostics. This investment came from both TEDCO’s Seed Funds, which back early-stage companies as they build toward becoming venture-fundable, and the Life Science Investment Fund, which supports milestone-based progress for Maryland life science companies. The funding will support continued development and validation of the company’s rapid diagnostic technology as it works toward regulatory clearance.
"Five years ago, TEDCO funded an idea for what sounded like a science fiction machine. This fall, that machine goes into its first clinical placement," said Mustafa Al-Adhami, CEO of Astek Diagnostics. "When I first pitched TEDCO, I said first step into success would be treating a single patient based on Jiddu's recommendation — and this fall, with this investment, we get there. In addition to financial support, we have utilized the SBIR Lab, Loaned Executive, and the Entrepreneur Expo and other programs. We are excited to be able to accelerate the program toward FDA clinical trials.”
Astek Diagnostics, located in Baltimore, Md., is developing the Jiddu™ Platform, a diagnostic system designed to deliver antibiotic susceptibility results in under an hour, compared with the 48 to 72 hours required by traditional culture-based methods. The technology targets infections such as urinary tract infections, sepsis and wound infections, giving clinicians faster, more targeted treatment information at the point of care.
“Astek has shown exactly the kind of steady, milestone-driven progress our Seed Funds are designed to support,” said Teddy Gresser, senior director of Seed Funds at TEDCO. “We look for founders who are ready to turn early traction into a sustainable company, and Mustafa and the Astek team continue to show us they can do exactly that”.
TEDCO’s Seed Funds invest in companies that show promise of becoming venture-fundable or that, through seed investment, will become sustainable through customer revenue, follow-on funding or other forms of corporate venture. The Life Science Investment Fund complements that work by providing milestone-based investment to Maryland life science companies advancing toward commercialization. Astek is a longtime TEDCO portfolio company, having previously received funding from TEDCO’s Pre-Seed Builder Fund, Venture Funds and Maryland Innovation Initiative.
"For the fourth year running, our region has ranked among the nation's top three biopharma clusters — and Maryland's life sciences companies keep proving why this state is a place where great ideas turn into great companies," said TEDCO CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall. "We're proud to continue supporting Astek as it works toward its next milestone."
For more information, visit our page at tedcomd.com/funding.