Alveo Technologies, a molecular diagnostics company based in Alameda, California, and Royal GD, the Dutch animal health organization, have expanded their partnership to develop on-farm molecular tests for swine and cattle. The agreement, announced on September 22, 2026, adds dedicated research and development funding from Royal GD and also extends the companies’ work in poultry.
Building on avian influenza
The expansion follows 18 months of commercial use of the companies’ first joint product, a rapid molecular test for avian influenza that runs on Alveo’s portable Alveo Sense platform. The test lets farmers and veterinarians check birds for avian influenza directly at the farm, without sending samples to a central laboratory and waiting for results.
“With Alveo Sense, we bring laboratory-quality molecular testing directly to the poultry house, enabling earlier detection,” said Gerhard de Ruiter, Managing Director of Royal GD.
New species, new pathogens
Under the expanded agreement, Royal GD will commit new R&D resources to develop tests on the Alveo platform for additional pathogens in swine and cattle, including respiratory diseases. The partners will also continue to broaden their poultry portfolio. In 2025, they announced work on a notifiable disease panel and an avian respiratory panel, designed to detect pathogens such as Newcastle disease virus that cause signs similar to avian influenza. The companies expect new products by 2027.
“Expanding into bovine and swine health together is the natural next step for a platform built to serve farmers,” said Shaun Holt, CEO of Alveo Technologies.
The technology
Alveo’s platform uses a patented method called IntelliSense, which detects nucleic acid amplification by direct electrical sensing instead of optical fluorescence. The device is palm-sized and reusable, runs several targets on a single cartridge, and delivers results in under one hour through a mobile app connected to the cloud.
Royal GD’s role
Royal GD, based in Deventer in the Netherlands, has more than 100 years of veterinary experience and runs one of the world’s largest veterinary diagnostic laboratories. It also provides contract research and disease surveillance. Under the new agreement, Royal GD funds and staffs the development of new tests, which will run on Alveo’s platform. Alveo also plans to expand its global distributor network.
Point-of-need testing in livestock
Molecular testing on the farm is not meant to replace reference laboratories, which remain essential for confirmation, official reporting, and detailed characterization of pathogens. Its value lies in speed: a result within an hour can support earlier decisions on isolation, movement restrictions, and sampling for laboratory confirmation. As avian influenza, African swine fever, and other transboundary animal diseases continue to spread, demand for both rapid field tests and robust laboratory PCR is likely to grow.