Kipostech tests its pathogen-control system in poultry houses as bird flu hits Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania farmers are battling bird flu outbreaks, and a local startup is building tech to kill agricultural pathogens. 

Hema Ravindran and her cofounder Raj Singh launched Kipostech in 2022, a tech company developing hardware and software to get rid of germs in the air. The company just finished a pilot at a chicken colony house at the University of Delaware and is already seeing the efficacy of its tech, according to Ravindran. 

“We live in Lancaster and we live with farmers, and we’ve seen the pain that they face with every outbreak,” she told Technical.ly. “We place our machines in the farm that acts like an extra biosecurity layer for the farms, and it neutralizes all of these pathogens in the air.”

Pennsylvania farmers are facing an ongoing outbreak of avian influenza. They traditionally manage these diseases by increasing ventilation, restricting entry and using personal protective equipment, Ravindran said. 

Kipostech is developing a machine that uses non-thermal plasma, which is generated by small electrical discharges, to kill bacteria and viruses. Separately, the machine collects debris and eliminates harmful gases in the air. The system also includes an air-quality monitor that warns farmers about possible risks.

The founding team of environmental engineers originally targeted healthcare, but pivoted because the pathway to market was clearer. Ravindran now sees its applications expanding to other types of livestock, food processing and possibly even back to healthcare, she said. 

“We are looking at a commercialization in a year’s time, but then more focusing on the partnership so that we can get to the commercialization faster,” Ravindran said.

Seed round coming soon

As Kipostech grows, Ravindran’s goal is to expand the company’s network as much as possible, she said. 

Raising money as a hardware company can be especially challenging because investors often have to wait longer to see returns, even when the potential payoff is significant, according to Ravindran. To address that, her strategy has been to grow Kipostech’s customer base and form strong partnerships, helping show investors that the long-term opportunity is worth the wait.

“Build the partnerships. Make it so hard for investors to say no,” she said. “That’s my approach to fundraising.” 

This strategy seems to be working for the company. Kipostech raised about $800,000 in its pre-seed round from angel investors, the State of Delaware and Ben Franklin Technology Partners since launch four years ago.

Ravindran is also planning a $3 million seed round by the end of this year and will apply for Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Innovation grant program. This timeline give the company the spring and summer to secure more customers and partners before raising.  

“When you have all of these pieces in place,” Ravindran said, “fundraising becomes tangible.”