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Updated: April 1, 2025

UNE signs first IP license with Portland diagnostics startup

A person points at a whiteboard while another person looks on. Photo / Courtesy University of New England  UNE researcher Srinidi Mohan, in collaboration with MaineHealth clinician Susan Miesfeldt, is developing technology to improve detection and treatment of aggressive cancers.
By Laurie Schreiber

The University of New England signed its first intellectual property license agreement with Satya Diagnostics — a Portland startup that recently received $100,000 from MaineHealth’s Bonfire Funding program.

Bonfire Funding was created by MaineHealth in 2021 as part of its not-for-profit mission of researching new ways to provide care, with the goal of fostering and accelerating innovations to the point where additional external funding can be secured.

Research spinoff

The newly licensed technology — designed to improve detection and treatment of aggressive cancers like “triple-negative” breast cancer and ovarian cancer — was developed by UNE researcher Srinidi Mohan in collaboration with MaineHealth clinician Susan Miesfeldt.

“Triple negative” refers to certain indicators in cancers that tend to grow and spread more quickly.

The technology is a “blood-based biomarker test” that analyzes a blood sample for certain indicators related to certain health conditions. Triple-negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer are difficult to detect in their earliest stages, according to a news release.

The licensed technology allows for timelier disease control through blood testing to monitor and manage treatment of the aggressive cancers.

“This licensing agreement with Satya Diagnostics brings us one step closer to making this technology available to patients who need it most,” said Mohan.

Mohan said the technology could particularly help patients in rural, underserved communities, where cancer management resources are often not readily available

“This cancer detection tool has the potential to benefit individuals regardless of their economic status,” said Mohan.

Satya was founded 2022 as a spinoff from the research. Mohan is chief technical and scientific officer. Satya secured IP licensing from the University of New England for two patents related to Mohan's lab discoveries.

The technology will likely be useful in early detection, treatment response monitoring and long-term surveillance, said Miesfeldt. 

“As an easy-to-use blood test, it has very promising global applications,” she added.

MaineHealth’s Bonfire Funding will allow Satya Diagnostics to expand clinical testing with a goal of receiving Federal Drug Administration approval for the technology, which is expected to lower the cost of care for patients with a more precise diagnosis that directs them toward more effective treatments. 

Seed round

The MaineHealth money marks Satya Diagnostics’s first non-dilutive capital from a life sciences fund, said Rives Bird, the startup’s CEO.

The goal is to raise a total of $500,000 in the seed round.

Before receiving the $100,000, Mohan and Miesfeldt conducted clinical trials at the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network with funding from the Maine Cancer Foundation. 

MaineHealth, in collaboration with UNE, supported Satya Diagnostics with guidance from its intellectual property and business development committee and connected the team with experts from its finance department, clinical trials office and its clinical laboratory, called NorDx, to help them develop their ideas into a company.

UNE’s decision to license its technology to Satya marks a culmination of years of research and aligns with UNE’s strategy as a hub of biotechnology research in Maine, said Karen Houseknecht, UNE’s vice president for research.

“By bridging the gap between academic research and real-world application, this work not only advances scientific knowledge but also has the potential to improve patient outcomes globally,” said Houseknecht.

At-home test kit

The technology is being designed as a kit that will provide a finger-prick blood test designed for ease of use at a patient’s home and ease of shipment to a diagnostic center, Mohan told Mainebiz.

The project began 10 years ago as a faculty-led initiative.

It’s expected the technology will receive FDA approval within the next five years, he said.

During that period, the lab will “assess the analytical scale-up potential of the kit and evaluate its biomarker performance across a diverse patient population” in the U.S., he said. 

“Once FDA approval is granted, we will begin commercializing the diagnostic test kit, initially focusing on its use in diagnostic centers,” he said. “Following this, we will expand its availability to physician offices for point-of-care testing and potentially offer it as a home testing kit for patients.”

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