Improving outcomes and combating AMR by giving the best drug every time
iFAST is addressing the $4bn (& growing) Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) market.
We have a test delivering results in under 3 hours from a Gram-negative positive blood culture or bacterial isolates saving lives and reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
iFAST Diagnostics
secures expanded UKCA Certification
iFAST Diagnostics secures expanded UKCA Certification for Gram-negative isolates, adding to existing certification for Gram-negative bacteria blood cultures. iFAST has also secured UKCA Certification for Quantitative AST results from key drugs including Meropenem and Piperacillin-tazobactam.
The Problem
Bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics – resistance levels are 20% - 98% and unpredictable. Current Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) can take 24 - 72 hours – patients deteriorate whilst waiting for the correct drug.
Prescribing inappropriate antibiotics leads to the spread of resistant infections, sepsis and death Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) caused over 1 million deaths in 2019 – more than malaria or AIDS.
iFAST reduces AST test time to under 3hrs
iFAST reduces AST test time to under 3 hours
Positive blood cultures/isolated bacterial colonies
Suspended in solution and then exposed to a range of antibiotics.
Our test takes
30 seconds per well
Following a two-hour incubation, the iFAST instrument measures electrical properties of each individual bacterial cell ( approx. 5,000 bacteria per sample)
RESISTANT/
SUSCEPTIBLE Output
iFAST instrument determines optimum antibiotic for clinician to prescribe
iFAST helps to solve the problem
Time to Result
Results in under 3 hours
(blood or isolates)
High throughput
Each reader performs
up to 10 tests/day
Cost
From £30 per sample,
equivalent to or cheaper than current gold standard methods
The data you need
Resistant/Susceptible and Minimum
Inhibitory Concentration (MIC)
for up to 16 drugs per sample
(Gram-Neg UK panel)
Research and UKCA approved systems available NOW
Each sample analysed in less than a minute
The electrical properties of single bacteria are measured at high speed using the iFAST microfluidic impededance chip.
Experienced and committed team
Dr Toby King
CEO
Prof Hywel Morgan
CTO
Dr Dan Spencer
VP Engineering
Prof Mark Sutton
Advisory Board Chair
To find out more
If you would like find out more please send us
an email and we will get in touch.
Find our brochure, and nature paper below.
Latest News
iFAST Diagnostics secures expanded UKCA Certification for Gram-negative isolates, adding to existing certification for Gram negative bacteria blood cultures.
iFAST has also secured UKCA Certification for Quantitative AST results from key drugs including Meropenem and Piperacillin-tazobactam.
iFAST Diagnostics Limited, the leading developer of rapid AST (antimicrobial susceptibility testing) technology, today announced it has successfully closed a £5 million funding round.
The round was led by Meridian Health Ventures (MHV), with continued participation from almost all existing subscribers including QantX, RAW Ventures, and OKG Capital, plus members of Cambridge Capital Group, together with £2.1 million of non-dilutive loan funding from Innovate UK.
SYNLAB UK & Ireland partners
with iFAST Diagnostics in new commercial collaboration
We are proud to announce the expansion of
our partnership with SYNLAB UK & Ireland as our first commercial laboratory partner in the UK.
iFAST Diagnostics is delighted to confirm clinical data validation for Gram-negative isolates and quantitative AST, with our updated UKCA claim due in the coming weeks.
This means the iFAST ultra-rapid AST process is now applicable for Gram-negative bacterial isolates cultured from a range of clinical culture media. This is a hugely important milestone, which further increases opportunities to save lives, using our innovative time-saving platform.
The iFAST ONE ultra-rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test (AST) system is now UKCA Certified for testing patient samples, direct from Gram negative bacteria blood cultures.
Clinicians in hospitals throughout Great Britain can now use data from iFAST Diagnostics to prescribe the most suitable antibiotics for individual patient infections, which will save thousands of lives, shorten hospital stays and help the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
iFAST Diagnostics Ltd have successfully completed their pivotal clinical trials. For routine clinical use, these results validate our claim to consistently give accurate, rapid AST results, from a positive blood culture, in under 3 hours.
The team tested 375 Gram-negative bacterial samples of 7 different species at three UK sites – Portsmouth, Southampton, and Bristol. The iFAST results were compared with the ‘gold standard’ method, broth microdilution, as well as being tested for reproducibility.
We are delighted to have achieved the internationally recognised ISO 13485 certification for the design, manufacture and distribution of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing devices.
This achievement is one of the final critical steps on our path to commercial roll-out, which will start early 2026. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this fantastic achievement, less than 3 years after we raised our first investment.
iFAST Diagnostics Ltd has been awarded the Institute of Physics Business Award, the Lee Lucas Award for their Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing instruments and rapid AST system.
The IOP’s prestigious Business Awards are unique in the UK and Ireland in recognising the significant contribution that physicists and physics make in industry.
iFAST Diagnostics Ltd is delighted to have secured their first multi-system commercial sale with long standing partner UKHSA.
UKHSA have placed an order for three new iFAST Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing systems for use in the Countermeasure Development Evaluation and Preparedness Division labs.
iFAST held an open day of their amazing new facilities in Whiteley, Hampshire on 21 March 2025.
It was a very special afternoon, with the team running tours and demos for our guests. A special thanks to Paul Holmes MP, Mark Spearing, and Russell Gordon-Smith (Mayor of Winchester) for officiating.
Thank you to Karen Davis, Michelle and the rest of the iFAST team for making the day such a success.
Can't wait till we start our formal UK clinical studies next week at QA Hospital, in advance of our UK launch in the summer.
iFAST Diagnostics announces $6.5M (£5m) to combat antimicrobial resistance globally
Seed round raises $6.5m (£5m) from existing investors plus EInk, RAW Ventures and OKG Capital. Round led by KHP Ventures, a medtech specialist investment fund backed by the NHS
iFAST selected for the Healthcare Innovation Consortium’s AMR Innovation Programme
We are delighted to have been selected to join five other companies looking to address antimicrobial resistance and will receive support to commercialise and scale our work.
Bacteria zapped in a fight with antibiotic resistance.
New spinout from University of Southampton is seeking to help solve one of the biggest threats to world health: antibiotic resistance
Spectacular results
with our first two hospital evaluations!
We are thrilled with the outcome of our first two hospital evaluations with our iFAST demonstrator platform - the results are spectacular! Both trials were comparing the iFAST technology with the hospital current standard of care (disk diffusion), using patient blood samples.
Latest Video
Our Events
Dr Toby King, CEO, iFAST Diagnostics presented at the conference, this must-attend event for anyone working in infection prevention and control, infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, and biomedical science.
We were especially pleased to take part and win the Dragon’s Den competition, with 60% of the total audience vote.
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Get in Touch
For more information about iFAST Diagnostics email us.
iFAST Diagnostics, 1500 Parkway, Whiteley, Hampshire PO15 7AF, United Kingdom
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