When a patient arrives with a bacterial infection, doctors may have to choose an antibiotic before laboratory tests confirm which one will work. A sensitivity test checks which antibiotic can kill the bacteria in a patient’s sample, but standard testing takes 24 to 48 hours. The first prescription, including the dose, therefore often relies on an assumption.
That has consequences beyond the first few days of treatment. Antibiotics taken when they are not needed, or in excess, contribute to antimicrobial resistance, making the drugs less effective against bacteria.
Chennai-based Attox Research Laboratories is developing a device to shorten that wait. Its flagship product, the Bactolizer, is designed to identify the effective antibiotic and the correct dose from a list of 15 antibiotics in about 30 minutes to two hours.
Attox was founded in 2023 by Clement, Suganth and Senthil. Clement holds an MBA and has more than 18 years of experience in startup building and organisational management. Suganth holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and was an undergraduate researcher under Senthil, who has a PhD in analytical chemistry and more than 20 years of experience in teaching and research.
"We ideally want the first antibiotic to be the right antibiotic," Clement says.
The 10-member team is based in Chennai and works from a laboratory in Erode. Attox is incubated at Kongu TBI and IIM Bangalore and has completed IIT Bombay's ATMAN 3.0 accelerator programme.
A cartridge, a reader, and an algorithm
The Bactolizer has two parts: a signal processing unit and a disposable electrochemical cartridge. A patient's sample goes into the cartridge, which is then loaded into the device.
A specialised algorithm compares the electrical responses recorded at the beginning and end of the test to determine which antibiotic is effective and at what dosage. Attox says the Bactolizer has reached 94% accuracy and meets CDSCO standards.
"We are working to improve accuracy to more than 97%, and it is a continuous journey," Suganth says.
The Bactolizer is a plug-and-play unit aimed at hospitals. It costs about Rs 40,000, while each test cartridge costs Rs 500 to Rs 600 and is paid for by the hospital. Attox says the price of the device may change as the product develops.
Attox competes with global and Indian players, including Switzerland-based Roche Diagnostics and Indian company Ourlife Biolytic Solutions. Clement says traditional lab-based methods remain its closest competition.
Trials first, then the market
Attox has not yet taken the Bactolizer to market and is pre-revenue. The startup needs CDSCO approval before it can sell the device and is working towards this through clinical trials. It holds a provisional patent, and the trials are also expected to help it secure the final patent.
The company is starting trials involving about 10,000 patients and plans to complete them by next year.
Attox raised Rs 1 crore in pre-seed funding around March this year, led by TIH-IIT Bombay with participation from angel investors. About two years ago, it received a Rs 7 lakh grant from the Department of Science and Technology through Kongu TBI.
The startup now plans to raise a Rs 5 crore seed round over the next six months to fund its go-to-market plan. It also hopes to reduce the Bactolizer's testing time further, potentially to about an hour, with mentorship, regulatory guidance, and fabrication support from TIH-IIT Bombay.
Attox Research Laboratories is part of YourStory's Tech30 cohort—a showcase of India's most promising startups of 2026, unveiled at TechSparks Bengaluru.
Edited by Teja Lele