Koniku

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Koniku Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryBiotechnology
Founded2015
Headquarters
San Rafael, California
,
U.S
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
ProductsKonikore
WebsiteKoniku

Koniku Inc. is a California-based biotechnology company. The company is known to develop hybrid "wetware" devices which integrate live biological neurons with silicon-based hardware. Koniku was known for its flagship product, the Konikore, an electronic olfaction system or "smell cyborg" unveiled at TEDGlobal 2017 in Tanzania.[1]

The Konikore made in engineered biological neurons with olfactory receptors to detect and classify complex odors, chemical signatures, and explosives.[2] The Konikore system applications included security, healthcare, and industry. Koniku partnered with Airbus since 2017 to develop threat detection systems for aviation.[3] In 2025, the company became a founding member of the Oracle Defense Ecosystem established by Oracle Corporation.[4]

History

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Koniku was founded in 2015 by Osh Agabi, Christopher Hedvall and Christopher McAndrew. The company’s name, Koniku, means “immortal” in Yoruba language.[5]

At TEDGlobal 2017 conference in Tanzania, Osh Agabi unveiled the Konikore or Koniku Kore, Koniku’s flagship device which combined living neurons with silicon to detect specific odors, including explosives. It was presented as a "smell cyborg".[6]

In 2020, Koniku Inc., closed a Series A financing round led by Nigeria-based Platform Capital Investment Partners other investors include SoftBank.[7] Following the investment, new members joined Koniku’s board, including Kevin McAleenan, Markus Pertl, and Ivan Genadiev.[8]

Technology

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Koniku’s flagship device, the Konikore, reportedly to be engineered with biological cells to identify odors in real time.[9] Konikore operated by programming neurons with specific receptors that naturally bind to targeted substances. A subset of “reporter neurons” forms a biological electronic interface through endocytosis, creating the functional connection that allows electrical signals to be read by the chip. It seems the system links biological sensing to digital signal processing.[10]

According to founder Osh Agabi, in 2020, the system was using the same olfactory mechanisms found in the noses of animals, such as dogs, to sense compounds in real time.[11] In 2020, reportedly Konikore was able to identify over 4,000 compounds, and was used in applications ranging from food authentication and flavor analysis to agriculture, disease detection, and chemical sensing.[11] The company's stated long-term goal was to digitize all real-world smell data and open access via the Koniku Technology Integrator Ecosystem (KTIE).[11][12]

Application

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Security and Aviation

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Since 2017, according to reports, Koniku partnered with Airbus to develop a biotechnology-based system for detecting chemical, explosive, and biological threats in aircraft and at airports.[3] In 2020, this collaboration expanded to include biological hazard detection, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] In 2022, Airbus Americas joined Koniku’s Technology Integrator Ecosystem (KTIE) to co-develop the Konikore by Airbus system.[12] The technology was reported to be deployed at the San Francisco International Airport and various locations in the Gulf States.[14] In 2025, Koniku became a founding memner of the Oracle Defense Ecosystem, a global defense initiative established by Oracle that uses Oracle Cloud.[4]

Health and Industry

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Koniku also used its smell processor for disease diagnostics, in 2020 it said it was aiming to convert domestic spaces like bathrooms into healthcare data centers capable of streaming smell data directly to the cloud.[15] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Konikore system was involved in clinical trials with Treximo and the University of Southern Nevada in an attempt to secure emergency use authorization as a rapid COVID-19 detection test.[16] Additionally, the technology was applied to food authentication, flavor analysis (including a deal with Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2021), and chemical sensing, such as detecting compounds like benzene and xylene for oil companies.[16]

Critics and reception

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In 2020, Timothy Swager, a chemistry professor at the MIT, noted that achieving what Koniku aimed for was requiring “some technical miracle,”. Swager highlighted that integrating natural protein receptors with silicon circuits would be an extremely challenging task, and the complexity of living cells made them difficult to engineer.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Shapshak, Toby. "Putting Neurons In Chips -- And Other African Innovations from TEDGlobal in Arusha". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  2. ^ Busari, Stephanie (2017-08-28). "Nigerian creates device that can detect explosives and cancer cells". CNN. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  3. ^ a b "Airbus and Koniku Inc. embark on disruptive biotechnology solutions for aviation security operations | Airbus". www.airbus.com. 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  4. ^ a b Swayne, Matt (2025-10-14). "Oracle's New Defense Ecosystem Members Includes Quantum Cybersecurity Startup American Binary". The Quantum Insider. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  5. ^ "Where Man Meets Machine - A Nigerian Techie Is Building A Computer Out Of Actual Brains!". WeeTracker. 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  6. ^ "TEDGlobal: The computer that can smell explosives". 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  7. ^ Ajifowoke, Michael (2021-12-17). "Koniku closes Series A round led by Nigeria-based Platform Capital". TechCabal. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  8. ^ Anaesoronye, Modestus (2021-12-17). "Koniku strengthens board with 4 new appointments". Businessday NG. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  9. ^ Christou, Luke (2021-02-04). "Could a new robot replace sniffer dogs at airport security?". Airport Technology. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  10. ^ "The Birth of Wetware". proto.life. 2018-05-31. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  11. ^ a b c "Koniku's Synthetic Sniffer Identifies Smells (Just Don't Call it a Digital Nose)". The Spoon. 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  12. ^ a b "Koniku and Airbus Expand Partnership to Re-imagine Aviation Security". Archived from the original on 2024-08-14. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  13. ^ Michelle, Taylor. "Airbus Wants its Bomb-detecting 'E-nose' to Sense COVID-19". www.laboratoryequipment.com. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  14. ^ "Paws for thought with Finnish airport operator". www.blueskynews.aero. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  15. ^ Onukwue, Alexander (2020-03-24). "Breathing Machine: How Koniku could change disease detection". TechCabal. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  16. ^ a b "Transforming Airport Security with Koniku". www.whipsaw.com. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  17. ^ Lewis, Nell (2020-11-03). "Could a bomb-sniffing device transform airport security?". CNN. Retrieved 2025-12-03.