Claryx, a genomic intelligence company developing AI-powered infection surveillance technology for hospitals, emerged from stealth with $3.5 million in pre-seed funding led by Outlander VC, with participation from Company Ventures, Boost VC, Neon, Mana Ventures, 640 Oxford and Precursor. The investment will support the expansion of its CloneLink platform, designed to detect and stop hospital-acquired infections before outbreaks spread.
AI-powered genomic surveillance
Hospital-acquired infections remain a major healthcare challenge, increasing costs, extending hospital stays and contributing to preventable deaths. Claryx combines genomic sequencing with a digital twin of hospital environments, including air, water and surfaces, to identify transmission chains, locate infection sources and verify whether interventions successfully stopped outbreaks. Proprietary sequencing technology significantly reduces testing costs, making continuous genomic surveillance practical for hospitals.
Clinical validation
The platform is supported by a two-year study at UPMC Presbyterian, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, where researchers identified 172 previously undetected outbreaks involving 476 patients. According to the study, 96% of investigated outbreaks were successfully contained, preventing an estimated 62 infections and nearly five deaths while delivering a 3.2x return on investment.
“We believe preventable infections are a solvable problem,” said Kurt Hackenberger, Co-Founder and CEO of Claryx. “Today we can tell a hospital where an infection came from. We’re building toward a future where it never had to happen in the first place.”
Funding to expand deployment
Founded by brothers Kurt and Dirk Hackenberger, Claryx is already working with multiple health systems and is supported by a scientific advisory board that includes experts from Mayo Clinic, Harvard, Yale, Weill Cornell, Washington University, UCLA, McMaster University, the CDC and former New York City public health leaders.
“Every building people share is a transmission system running invisibly, and Claryx has made it possible to finally see it,” said AJ Smith, Partner at Outlander VC. “We backed Kurt and Dirk because once you can generate this kind of intelligence in a hospital, you can generate it anywhere infection spreads.”