Designing for simplicity: lessons from Mesa Biotech for microfluidic entrepreneurs and early-stage companies

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven the need for point-of-care diagnosis of respiratory diseases and microfluidic technology has risen to the occasion. Mesa Biotech (San Diego, CA) originally developed the Accula platform for the diagnosis of influenza A and B and then extended the platform to SARS-CoV-2. Mesa Biotech has experienced tremendous success, culminating in acquisition by Thermo Fisher for up to $550m USD. The Accula microfluidics platform accomplished the leap from the lab to commercial product through clever design and engineering choices. Through information obtained from interviews with key Mesa Biotech leaders and publicly-available documents, we describe the keys to Mesa's success and how they might inform other lab-on-a-chip companies.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of point-of-care diagnosis for respiratory diseases, leading to the rise of microfluidic technology. Mesa Biotech has successfully developed the Accula platform for the diagnosis of various respiratory diseases, including SARS-CoV-2, and has subsequently been acquired by Thermo Fisher for a significant amount. The success of Mesa Biotech can be attributed to their innovative design and engineering choices, which have allowed them to transition from a lab-based product to a commercially successful platform.