London, 6th May 2026 – Jenson Ventures is pleased to announce its investment in Astratus Limited, a UK-based healthtech company developing rapid diagnostic solutions to support personalised antimicrobial prescribing and combat the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Founded as a spin-out from the University of Reading, Astratus is pioneering a fully customisable, high-throughput rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) platform. The company’s technology delivers digitised, same-day results directly from urine or bacterial samples, significantly reducing the time required to identify effective treatments compared to traditional laboratory methods.
Astratus’ platform enables clinicians and laboratories to determine the most effective antimicrobial therapy within hours rather than days, helping to reduce the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, one of the primary drivers of antimicrobial resistance. With antimicrobial resistance projected to cause millions of deaths globally in the coming decades, innovations such as Astratus’ rapid AST solution are critical to improving patient outcomes and supporting antimicrobial stewardship.
Advancing Rapid Diagnostics to Address a Global Challenge
Astratus operates across human, veterinary and research markets, aligning with a “One Health” approach to tackling AMR. Its scalable platform is designed to increase laboratory throughput while reducing manual processes, enabling more efficient and accurate testing at scale.
By delivering actionable insights in under six hours, the company’s technology has the potential to transform how infections are treated, ensuring patients receive the right drug at the right time, while reducing unnecessary antibiotic exposure.
Jeffrey Faustin, CIO and Managing Partner of Jenson Ventures, commented “Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most pressing global healthcare challenges of our time. Astratus is addressing this head-on with a highly innovative diagnostic platform that has the potential to significantly improve prescribing decisions and patient outcomes. We were particularly impressed by the team’s scientific expertise and the scalability of their technology across human and animal health. We’re excited to support Astratus as they bring faster, more accurate antimicrobial testing to market.”
Dr Oliver Hancox, Co-founder and CEO of Astratus, commented “Our mission is to accelerate personalised antimicrobial prescribing through rapid testing, helping to reduce the global burden of antimicrobial resistance while enabling patients to receive faster, more precise treatment and improved overall care. Jenson Ventures’ support will enable us to further develop and scale our technology, bringing same-day diagnostic insights to more clinicians and laboratories worldwide.”