As one of the companies selected for Phase 2 of the NATO DIANA programme, 52North will enter an additional six months of acceleration, during which they will work on the adoption of their innovative diagnostic solutions, which aim to transform emergency care. In this post, we hear more from the team at 52North:
What does your company do and what is the solution you applied to DIANA with?
"52North is a medical technology company on a mission to make emergency care safer and more effective. 52North’s patented platform, Aster™, is the world’s first fully portable method of rapidly measuring cells and solutes from a single sample.
Built on this platform, ARC™ strengthens medical resilience to nuclear incidents. ARC™ measures key biomarkers to enable remote triaging and treatment monitoring of people at risk of radiation sickness following a nuclear incident, ensuring those in need receive quick access to life-saving treatment.
It is critical to address this gap to ensure preparedness in the event of a nuclear incident. Rapid, in-the-field triage is essential to protect both emergency responders, defence personnel, and the public, ensuring emergency cases receive timely intervention."
What problem does your solution solve?
"Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) will be a critical cause of death in a nuclear emergency, such as a nuclear bomb or a tactical strike on a nuclear plant. Up to 15 million people may be exposed in such an event. These individuals would require rapid management as treatment in the first three days is critical for survival. However, the symptoms of ARS are generic and may not exist at all for up to three weeks. The earliest clear indicators of radiation exposure are a drop in certain white blood cells. However, cell measurement can only currently be completed in laboratories or using plug-in desktop facilities, which are not feasible for mass population triage. We have developed the world’s first portable cell measurement platform and have an existing product, built for cancer patients, in clinical trial.
Our solution, ARC™, is a rapid, portable, and easy-to-use fingerprick blood test that enables frontline personnel to determine radiation exposure within minutes. The ARC capability will enable combat medics to effectively triage and manage radiation casualties in a mass casualty incident. This can be done in the field ensuring timely treatment and more lives saved."
How did the company get started?
"Spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2018, multi-award winning med-tech company 52North is on a mission to make emergency care safer and more effective.
At 52North, we have collaborated with hundreds of stakeholders to develop portable, rapidly scalable, point-of-care diagnostic tools. Our patented hardware platform Aster™ enables cost-effective multiplexing at point-of-care across cell-based and soluble biomarkers from a single sample."
Was your company already positioned as a dual-use company before DIANA? Why did you decide to apply to the programme?
"Prior to the DIANA programme, we were exploring applications of our platform technology with partners, though focused on our civilian application for people living with cancer, through our product called Neutrocheck®. This is an at-home, finger-prick blood test and digital platform that rapidly assesses a patient's risk of the most fatal side-effect of chemotherapy: a condition called neutropenic sepsis. The device gives a semi-quantitative result in around 10 minutes, and has been designed to be used by cancer patients. Therefore, it can be used universally by healthcare professionals or lay people, as appropriate.
Neutrocheck enables safer, quicker, and better clinical decision-making for cancer patients, translating to $100s of millions in savings for healthcare providers and insurers.
Our innovation is part of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme and was first presented to Major General Tim Hodgetts in 2022, where we discussed the potential extension of our technology for dual-use. Since then, 52North was selected from over 2,000 applicants to join the NATO DIANA programme. Phase 1 commenced in January 2025, and in just six months, we demonstrated significant traction and strategic fit for our innovation in medical resilience. This traction subsequently secured us one of the places on NATO DIANA Phase 2. Given increasing global risk levels, improving CBRN capabilities are a clear strategic goal. This is particularly important given the growing risk of tactical nuclear incidents."
How does your tech differ from competitors?
"Whilst there are other technologies that can measure blood counts, ARC differentiates itself as the world’s only fully portable solution, the only solution that does not require power, and the lowest cost solution. This means that ARC is the only solution that is suitable for a mass triaging scenario, such as that in a nuclear incident. Our selection to NATO DIANA Phase 2 demonstrates that diligence has been carried out to verify this and our capability’s unique value proposition."
What has been your biggest success or milestone to date since starting the DIANA programme? How did participation in DIANA’s programme help make this possible?
"Thanks to the NATO DIANA programme, 52North have attended and are planning participation in NATO-led operational exercises. This includes attending the CRBN-focused exercise, Precise Response. Next year, 52North and ARC will be part of the military play at NATO MILMED COE’s Vigorous Warrior exercise. Vigorous Warrior is the largest military medical exercise every other year, and we are looking forward to demonstrating ARC’s operational workflow with key stakeholders.
NATO DIANA has also enabled presentations to the US Department of Defence, the UK Ministry of Defence, and the Rapid Adoption Committee.
52North have also joined the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health in the US, to join a strong force of organisations and institutions to ensure preparedness for nuclear events."