Unlocking EV Biomarkers with Unparalleled Precision
Combining semiconductor-grade microfluidics and dielectrophoresis

Project overview
We partnered with the EXOKĒRYX team to translate their proprietary chip technology into a low-cost, scalable consumable and developed a fully automated platform tailored to their product and market needs—all while working seamlessly alongside their internal team.
Automated Platform Design
Scalable Consumable Development
Integrated Team Collaboration
Key Achievements
Delivering Diagnostic Innovation at Scale
Arete partnered with EXOKĒRYX to design a fully automated platform and cost-effective consumable around their proprietary chip—achieving performance, usability, and manufacturability targets while aligning seamlessly with their internal team.
Key Achievement
Designed and built a manufacturable, low-cost consumable and fully automated platform around EXOKĒRYX’s proprietary chip—all within a rapid development cycle of under one year—while meeting stringent usability, performance, and scalability goals.
Client Impact
Delivered a RUO-ready platform in under a year that met cost and performance targets by tightly integrating with EXOKĒRYX’s internal electrical team—reducing development time, controlling costs, and accelerating path to market.

Conversations From Inside the Collaboration
The EXOKĒRYX collaboration demonstrates the power of true partnership in health tech development. Rather than simply executing predetermined specifications, we worked shoulder-to-shoulder with their team to reimagine possibilities, overcome complex technical challenges, and deliver a market-ready solution that exceeded expectations.
Here, key members of the EXOKĒRYX team share their firsthand experience of our collaboration—from navigating initial complexity challenges and scaling expertise efficiently, to structuring development around investor milestones and achieving remarkable speed-to-market. These conversations reveal how the right partnership can transform ambitious scientific vision into practical, commercial success.
Here, key members of the EXOKĒRYX team share their firsthand experience of our collaboration—from navigating initial complexity challenges and scaling expertise efficiently, to structuring development around investor milestones and achieving remarkable speed-to-market. These conversations reveal how the right partnership can transform ambitious scientific vision into practical, commercial success.
Bryan Rice - President & cto
The Complexity Reset
When innovative startups have breakthrough scientific concepts, translating vision into practical products requires both ambition and specialized expertise. EXOKĒRYX came to us with promising technology and clear market potential. Through collaborative engineering and our deep expertise in biotech instrumentation, we worked together to optimize their architecture for both performance and manufacturability. The result was a refined design that maintained all the scientific capabilities while dramatically improving reliability and reducing cost. This case demonstrates how the right partnership can accelerate the journey from ambitious concepts to market-ready solutions.
Reduced Complexity
Cost Optimization
Rapid Iteration
Nick Tripsas - VP Manufacturing and Tech transfer
Scaling Without Risk
Small healthtech companies face an impossible equation: they need world-class expertiseacross multiple disciplines, but can't afford to hire permanent specialistsbefore proving market demand. EXOKĒRYX solved that challenge by partnering withour established development teams. Instead of doubling their workforce withindividual hires who would need months to get up to speed, they gainedimmediate access to engineers who already knew how to work togethereffectively. This approach not only provided the technical capabilities theyneeded but also gave them the flexibility to respond to marketconditions—whether demand accelerated faster than expected or took longer tomaterialize than planned.
Flexible Scaling
Risk Mitigation
Team Synergy
Amber Murray - SVP, Application
Investor-friendly Milestones
Successfullyfunded health tech companies understand that development timelines must alignwith investment cycles. EXOKĒRYX needed to show consistent, measurable progressto secure follow-on funding while building a complex life sciences instrument.We structured their development process around investor-friendlymilestones—each phase delivering working prototypes or validated technicalcapabilities that could be demonstrated to current and prospective investors.This approach not only helped them maintain funding momentum but also ensuredthat each development dollar was being used efficiently. By understanding boththe technical and financial requirements of their journey, we helped them buildinvestor confidence alongside their actual product.
Funding Alignment
Demonstrable Progress
Capital Efficiency
John Timpkins - SVP of Product
The Smile Moment
Complexengineering challenges benefit from collaborative problem-solving and diverseperspectives. EXOKĒRYX was working through sophisticated requirements thatnaturally led to an increasingly complex system architecture. While the designwas technically sound, the team recognized an opportunity to explorealternative approaches that might offer better manufacturability andreliability. Our collaboration brought fresh perspective and specializedexperience with similar instrument challenges. Together, we developed afundamentally different approach that met all the core requirements whilesignificantly reducing system complexity. This partnership demonstrates howcombining internal expertise with external specialization can unlock elegantengineering solutions.
Design Specification
Reliability Focus
Strategic Reset
Janet Anna - Director of Marketing
Speed To Results
In healthtechnology, timing often determines market success. EXOKĒRYX had identified asignificant opportunity but faced the reality that traditional developmentapproaches would take too long to capture it. By partnering with ourexperienced team, they compressed what could have been an 18-month internaldevelopment process into a 6-month sprint to working prototype. This wasn'tabout rushing—it was about applying specialized knowledge and provendevelopment processes to avoid the learning curve that comes with buildingcomplex instruments for the first time. Our deep experience with similarsystems allowed us to anticipate challenges, select appropriate technologies,and focus development effort on the unique aspects of their application ratherthan reinventing established approaches.
Accelerated Timeline
Specialized Expertise
Market Opportunity
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We’ve made rapid, high-quality progress and got a lot of value for our investment. I’ve already recommended Arete to others—and we’re planning to bring them into our next platform project. This is a partnership I want to continue for years to come.
Bryan Rice
President & CTO