Ekidna’s history began with the friendship of a group of researchers on the campus of the University of Ottawa.
Back in 2017, cannabis was a hot topic in Canada as we debated the merits and challenges posed by the impending legalization. Doctors Benoit Lessard, Adam Shuhendler, and Cory Harris often met to discuss some of the technical challenges with detecting cannabis accurately.
Electronic sensor expert Lessard, chemical diagnostics expert Shuhendler, and cannabis researcher Harris started working with PhD candidate Nic Boileau to develop a better way to test for key cannabinoids like THC and CBD. Their new solution worked accurately, took only minutes, and most importantly, was easy for non-experts.
After legalization in October 2018, the researchers realized that the cannabis industry as a whole greatly needed a testing solution that was designed for their needs. With better and more frequent testing, growers could adjust growing conditions for better results, and cannabis product makers could tune production runs for better consistency.
Officially founded in 2019, Ekidna now makes decentralized, rapid, and accurate cannabis testing easy. Boileau was chosen to take on the role CEO of the company. The three professors stayed on campus in the teaching and research roles they love, but still provide help and expertise as advisors.