From canine instincts to cutting-edge AI, this company is redefining olfaction—and unlocking critical healthcare and defense applications. 

Inspired by Nature, Powered by AI 

RealNose.AI is on a mission to replicate one of biology’s most mysterious systems: the mammalian sense of smell. 

“We’re building a biomassignal olfaction system,” says Co-founder and CEO Nikolas Stefanou. “We use olfactory biosensors and AI to replicate fully the mammalian olfaction system.” 

Why? Because dogs—nature’s super-sniffers—can detect cancer, explosives, narcotics, and more. But even with this astounding capability, no one has fully understood or replicated how olfaction actually works. Realnose.AI set out to change that. 

Solving a 10,000-Year-Old Mystery 

The startup has successfully recreated olfactory receptors, the ones found in mammalian noses and embedded them onto a chip. That chip is then trained using machine learning. 

“Our device is trained the same way we would train better dogs,” explains Stefanou. “So basically, anything that you have seen a dog do, we can do that as well.” 

The implications are massive. RealNose.AI is initially focused on prostate cancer detection and, through the NATO DIANA Challenge, has begun exploring dual-use applications in defense. 

Research Backed, Real-World Ready 

The RealNose.AI journey began when Stefanou’s co-founder, Dr. Andreas Mershin, was struck by how easily dogs could detect disease. That curiosity grew into rigorous research across institutions like MIT and the Cleveland Clinic—which has since signed a letter of intent to collaborate on trials for prostate, breast, and bladder cancers. 

RealNose.AI’s partnerships and pilot studies are rapidly moving the technology from lab to life. 

MassChallenge + NATO DIANA: Unlocking Dual-Use Potential 

While the initial focus was on healthcare, MassChallenge’s NATO DIANA Challenge program introduced the RealNose.AI team to a whole new set of possibilities. 

“At the beginning, we didn’t have in our minds to explore dual-use applications or defense, and this program opened our eyes,” Stefanou shared. 

Now, with promising outcomes from the first phase, the team is eager to apply for Phase Two and expand its impact in security and defense sectors. 

What’s Next for RealNose.AI? 

• Collaborations with top-tier medical institutions 
• Expansion into defense and security applications 
• Ongoing development of biosensor-powered diagnostics 

RealNose.AI is just one example of how deep tech and bioengineering are converging to solve real-world problems with precision and scalability.