LA JOLLA, Calif.—The 2025 Advanced Lateral Flow Conference (ALFC), the premier global event for rapid diagnostics, today announced the finalists for the prestigious 2025 ALFC Innovation Award. The finalists will present their technologies during a live pitch session at ALFC 2025, taking place October 14–15 at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California.
The Innovation Award recognizes developers and creators of groundbreaking products and novel technologies that push the boundaries of lateral flow diagnostics. Finalists will pitch their innovations before a panel of funders and commercialization experts as well as the ALFC audience. The winner, selected by judges and attendees, will be announced at the closing awards ceremony and will receive a $10,000 prize.
2025 ALFC Innovation Award Finalists
Eazebio: Eazebio is addressing one of healthcare’s most pressing challenges: the lack of rapid, affordable, and accessible diagnostics. Its platform integrates CRISPR, biosensors, and artificial intelligence to deliver results in under an hour at a cost of just $10–20 per test. Portable, intuitive, and adaptable across multiple diseases, the strip-based platform enables real-time answers and outbreak containment even in low-resource settings.
Latde Diagnostics: Latde Diagnostics is reimagining how lateral flow assays (LFAs) are used. Its platform labels bacterial cell surfaces to enable rapid phenotypic growth detection, with the first application targeting antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) for urinary tract infections. Delivering results in 90 minutes without instrumentation, Latde’s AST aims to decentralize infectious disease testing, cut costs, and combat gender- and socioeconomic-based health inequities.
Kompass Diagnostics: Kompass Diagnostics is developing an immunoassay platform that brings laboratory-quality, quantitative diagnostics into the home. Its Radical-Mediated Electrical Enzyme Assay (REEA) converts enzyme reactions into electrical signals, read by a handheld device. The platform delivers multiplexed results from a finger-prick blood sample in under ten minutes, with initial targets including estradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone.
“These finalists represent the cutting edge of innovation in diagnostics,” said Pat Vaughan, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer at DCN Dx and “shark” for the Innovation Awards panel at ALFC 2025. “Their technologies embody the ALFC mission: to advance rapid diagnostics that are fast, reliable, affordable, and equitable.”
In addition to the Innovation Award, ALFC 2025 will honor achievements through the Lifetime Achievement Award, Leadership in Diagnostics Award, and Poster Awards, which will be announced at the awards ceremony on October 15.
For more information about ALFC 2025 and the ALFC Awards, visit alfc2025.com
About the Advanced Lateral Flow Conference
The Advanced Lateral Flow Conference (ALFC), presented by DCN Dx, is the leading global event for lateral flow diagnostic developers, manufacturers, and those driving their commercial success. This annual conference delivers cutting-edge insights through expert-led sessions and provides a platform for researchers and developers to exchange ideas and innovations. Attendees gain practical insights to advance their businesses, deepen their knowledge of rapid diagnostics, and connect with leading minds shaping the future of point-of-care testing.
The ALFC 2025 theme, Catalyzing Growth: Tech Advancements, Funding, and Regulatory Roadmaps in LFA, focuses on the three pillars driving real-world progress in diagnostics: capital, innovation, and regulatory clarity. From shifting FDA expectations to sustainable funding models and manufacturability challenges, the content will tackle the strategic decisions that shape successful lateral flow products.
Attendees include product managers, business development leads, investors, regulatory professionals, scientists, supply chain reps, and service providers from across the diagnostics ecosystem. These are the people responsible for turning ideas into impact, and ALFC is where they come to learn, connect, and get things done.
To learn more about ALFC, visit alfc2025.com.
About DCN Dx
DCN Dx, based in Carlsbad, California, specializes in lateral flow diagnostics development and manufacturing, and IVD regulatory consulting and clinical research. DCN Dx’s multidisciplinary CDMO specializes in creating tailored assay systems, consumables, and instruments for point-of-use applications, with a particular expertise in lateral flow assays. Their clinical research services group specializes in the planning, execution, and oversight of IVD clinical trials, inclusive of clinical operations, data management, and biostatistics, and regulatory services.
DCN Dx’s personalized approach to IVD product development and clinical trials has supported hundreds of programs and clients. They can oversee every stage from concept to assay development and platform integration, through clinical trials to manufacturing or only handle the aspects you request. In addition to lateral flow assays, DCN Dx’s clinical research expertise extends to any in vitro diagnostic, all with a focus on innovation, usability, and performance.
With a commitment to quality, customer satisfaction, and industry-leading expertise, DCN Dx is setting the benchmark for excellence in IVD services. To learn more about how we can support your diagnostic needs, visit dcndx.com.
