Animal disease costs the world $300 billion every year.
The tools to detect it exist. They've just never been deployable at the farm. Forte Biotech is changing that — starting with aquaculture, expanding across livestock.
The problem is enormous. The diagnostic solution market is nascent.
$6B/yr
Aquaculture disease losses
Lost annually to shrimp disease alone across Southeast Asia
$300B
Global livestock disease
Estimated annual global cost of animal disease across all species
$130B+
African Swine Fever
Cost to Southeast Asia since 2018 alone
$310B
Aquaculture market
Global market (2024), growing at 5.1% CAGR through 2030
The diseases are known. The on-site tests are not.
Across aquaculture and livestock, a handful of high-impact pathogens account for the vast majority of economic loss. The diagnostics exist in central labs. Forte Biotech brings them to the farm.
Shrimp
WSSV / EHP / AHPND
$6B/yr
White Spot, EHP, and Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease are the three largest killers in shrimp aquaculture globally. Outbreaks can destroy an entire pond cycle within days. Detection at the pond is the only way to intervene in time.
Status: RAPID — deployed
Swine
ASF
$130B+
African Swine Fever has devastated pig herds across Southeast Asia since 2018. With no vaccine available, early detection and culling is the only containment strategy. Farm-level testing reduces response time from days to hours.
Status: RAPID ASF — available now
Fin Fish
TiLV / ISKNV / Streptococcus
$100M+/yr
Tilapia Lake Virus, Infectious Spleen and Kidney Necrosis Virus, and Streptococcus are emerging threats in the fastest-growing protein sector. Current diagnostics require central lab access that most farms do not have.
Status: RAPID — in development
The diagnostic tools exist. The delivery infrastructure doesn't.
PCR and qPCR can detect every major animal pathogen. But the machines cost $50K+, require trained technicians, cold-chain reagents, and stable power. Farms have none of these. The result: a diagnostic gap that costs billions.
The Problem
Geographic isolation
Farms are remote. Samples degrade before they reach a central lab.
Time mismatch
Lab results take 3–7 days. Outbreaks spread in hours.
Cold chain dependency
Conventional reagents require −20°C storage. Tropical farms lack reliable refrigeration.
Cost of centralised testing
At $15–50 per test plus logistics, routine screening is unaffordable for most farms.
The Forte Solution
On-site deployment
RAPID runs at the pond, pen, or feedmill. No sample transport required.
50-minute turnaround
From sample to result in under an hour. Farmers act the same day.
No cold chain
Lyophilised reagents are shelf-stable at room temperature. Ship anywhere by standard post.
Lab-comparable accuracy
LAMP-based detection validated against qPCR gold standard with published concordance data.
We've proven it in the field. Now we're scaling.
<50 min
Sample to result
4
Pathogens validated
9
Countries
3
Device tiers
NUS
Patented technology
2023
Net Zero winner
Four tailwinds accelerating the market.
Post-ASF urgency
African Swine Fever wiped out a quarter of the global pig herd. Governments and producers are investing in surveillance infrastructure for the first time. The budget exists now.
Aquaculture growth
Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production sector. As farm density increases, so does disease pressure and the economic case for routine molecular testing.
LAMP maturity
Loop-mediated isothermal amplification is now well-characterised for field diagnostics. Hardware, reagent stability, and assay design have caught up to make deployment practical.
Regulatory tailwinds
Southeast Asian governments are mandating pathogen testing at borders and hatcheries. Farms that can demonstrate disease-free status command premium pricing.
Beachhead → expansion → platform.
Beachhead: Shrimp
- •RAPID device developed and manufactured
- •WSSV, EHP, AHPND assays validated against qPCR
- •Commercial deployments across SEA
- •NUS patent filed and granted
Expansion: Swine + Scale
- •RAPID ASF launched commercially
- •RAPIDPlus and RAPIDMax hardware scaling
- •Aotomatic data platform rollout
- •Thailand, India, and Japan market entry
Fin Fish + Poultry
- •TiLV, ISKNV, Streptococcus assays
- •Poultry pathogen development pipeline
- •Regulatory submissions in target markets
- •Distribution partner network expansion
Open Platform
- •Third-party assay development SDK
- •Companion animal diagnostics
- •AI-driven outbreak prediction via Aotomatic
- •Platform licensing to governments and NGOs
Why Forte Biotech is a platform company, not a product company.
The RAPID device is the wedge. The real value is in the consumables, the expanding assay menu, and the data layer that connects every test result across every farm. Each new pathogen added multiplies revenue per device without additional hardware cost.
Recurring consumables revenue
Devices are placed; revenue comes from per-test consumable kits. High gross margin, high retention, predictable revenue per active device.
Expanding TAM
Every new assay unlocks a new species vertical without new hardware. Shrimp today, swine now, fin fish and poultry next. Same platform, compounding addressable market.
Defensible IP + validation moat
NUS-patented extraction chemistry, published qPCR concordance data, and regulatory validations create barriers to entry that deepen with each new pathogen.
Distribution leverage
Existing relationships with feedmills, distributors, and government agencies in 9 countries create a distribution network that new entrants cannot replicate quickly.
Ready to learn more?
We're seeking strategic investors who understand agriculture, diagnostics, and Southeast Asian markets. Let's talk about where Forte Biotech fits in your portfolio.
hello@fortebio.tech · +65 8512 9399 · Singapore