Decoding canine cognition to reveal the hidden world of scent
At Dognosis, we combine the unparalleled olfactory capabilities of dogs with advanced BCI and ML technology to digitize scent perception, unlocking groundbreaking possibilities in healthcare and beyond.
Every Disease Has A Scent. We’re On A Mission to Detect It.
Our symbiotic synthesis of canine and artificial intelligence allows us to detect diseases when it matters most, such as cancer where 80% of cases
are detected too late.
DogSense
World’s most functional canine BCI. Fully custom to an individual dog’s head, capturing high quality EEG data in a fully non-invasive and comfortable way.
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Turning Biological Signals into Digital Predictions
Our patented DogSense canine brain-computer interface is a real-time translator of the canine perception of smell to a digital data signature. This signature is analyzed and interpreted by our DogOS suite of ML models to predict the scent of disease.
DogSense
DogOS
Fully integrated software platform running signal processing algorithms and multimodal machine learning models providing real-time predictions based on canine neurobehavioral data.
SniffSpace
World’s most advanced olfactory workstation for biomedical detection dogs. Automated and algorithmic sample presentation in VOC maximization pods enabling curated sessions in a replicable and scalable environment.
"Relations are constitutive; dogs and people are emergent as historical beings, as subjects and objects to each other, precisely through the verbs of their relating."
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FAQs
Everything you need know about Dognosis.
We're building olfaction AI to solve for disease detection at scale. Our current focus is developing an ultra-affordable, non-invasive breath-based multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test. Our system combines trained dogs' exceptional olfactory abilities with brain-computer interfaces and machine learning to create quantitative signatures of disease volatilomes. Patients simply breathe into a mask, which is then analyzed in our controlled laboratory setting.
No, we don't bring dogs directly to people. Our system uses breath samples collected in face masks, which are then presented to the trained dogs in a controlled laboratory setting. Once sealed in a bag, masks can retain potency for up to 3 months, and potentially even longer. Samples can be transported hundreds or thousands of kilometers away and sniffed by our team of highly trained dogs in a sensor-rich environment.
Actually, 40+ double-blind trials published in peer-reviewed journals have demonstrated that dogs can detect various diseases, including different types of cancer, with high accuracy. This ability is due to their extraordinary sense of smell, which can detect subtle changes in the body's volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Our preliminary results show 98% accuracy in detecting 10 types of cancers, significantly outperforming traditional screening methods. For comparison, liquid biopsies from companies like Exact Sciences and GRAIL have high specificity but sensitivity around 50%, while mammograms achieve 80-85% accuracy. Importantly, our accuracy remains stable across both early and late stages of cancer.
The dogs are detecting changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are produced by the body when certain diseases, like cancer, are present. These VOCs create a unique "odor signature" or volatilome that trained dogs can identify, just like they can be trained to detect bombs and drugs.
While certain breeds like Beagles and Labradors are often used for scent work due to their strong olfactory abilities, breeds are ultimately just a distribution of personality traits, which is what truly matters for this work. In fact, one of our dogs is a Lab-Indie mix from a shelter. Many breeds can be trained for this purpose, with the most important factors being the individual dog's temperament, trainability, and passion for sniffing.
Our current dogs are on an internship from reputable breeders and shelters. We hope that the shelter model provides a sustainable avenue to adopt dogs, creating a win-win situation. While they're not typical pets, they are specially selected and trained for this work, well-cared for, and live comfortable lives with dedicated handlers and plenty of group-play, toys, walks, and the occasional swim in a pool/lake.
We make an important distinction from cosmetics and pharma - we work with dogs as collaborators, not test subjects. Our dogs receive purposeful work combined with enrichment activities, extensive play, and excellent care. We address concerns through complete transparency about their living conditions - and they're genuinely thriving, as evidenced by their enthusiasm for everything from detection work to yard time. We actually think animal-rights groups and dog-lovers will become powerful allies and are already in touch with several of them to make this a win-win for humans and dogs. Ultimately dogs and their welfare are at the heart of what we do, some fun videos of them on here.
While there was initial skepticism, the growing body of scientific evidence has led to increased acceptance in the medical community. Many clinicians now recognize the potential of canine olfaction in disease detection, especially when combined with advanced technology. We've talked to dozens of physicians who are aware of the literature published in reputable journals like Nature and The Lancet, and who also understand that we can trust dogs to detect disease, like we trust them to detect bombs.
We're pursuing a staged approach: first obtaining ISO certifications (like ISO 17025) while building prospective data, then targeting Indian regulatory approval by Q3 2025, with FDA and EU paths in parallel. We're designing specific intended use-cases aligned with our GTM and clinical roadmap to accelerate commercialization while building our clinical validation flywheel.
Several key trends have converged to make our approach particularly compelling right now:
- The rise of Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) tests and AI-powered imaging has created an acute need for effective first-tier screening, which breath-based testing is uniquely positioned to fulfill. This is reflected in recent policy moves - there's even a bill in Congress to mandate Medicare coverage for FDA-approved MCED tests.
- Wearable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have become technically and commercially feasible since 2020, allowing us to transform dogs' binary signals into rich digital data streams. This technological breakthrough enables standardization and scalability that wasn't possible before.
- Machine learning advances now allow for powerful multi-modal real-time inference, helping us combine and analyze complex data from multiple sources (brain activity, behavior, video) to create more accurate and reliable detection models.
- The post-COVID world has demonstrated the power of canine detection at scale - dogs were successfully deployed across 60 countries for COVID screening, creating a major shift in public consciousness about their diagnostic capabilities.
These converging factors, combined with our technological innovations and strong clinical validation data, make this the perfect moment to bring this solution to market.