Swedish SME developing synthetic paper substrates for ultra-sensitive, low-cost point-of-care diagnostic tests.
Mercene Labs is a Stockholm-based materials and diagnostics SME focused on point-of-care (PoC) testing technology. Their core work sits at the intersection of advanced synthetic materials and rapid diagnostic platforms — specifically developing synthetic paper substrates that replace conventional cellulose-based materials to deliver higher sensitivity and lower production cost in PoC tests. They contributed materials and platform expertise to a multi-partner infectious disease diagnostics project, then shifted to independently commercializing their synthetic substrate technology through the EU SME Instrument. For a business or research partner, they represent a specialist supplier of the physical substrate layer in lateral flow or paper-based diagnostic systems.
Both PoC-ID and SyntheticPaper target PoC diagnostics — the former for ultra-sensitive infectious disease detection, the latter for cost-efficient PoC performance via synthetic substrates.
SyntheticPaper (2019), which Mercene Labs coordinated, was explicitly built around their proprietary synthetic paper technology as an enabling material for PoC tests.
PoC-ID (2015–2018) addressed ultra-sensitive diagnostics specifically for infectious diseases within a multi-country RIA consortium.
SyntheticPaper framed cost-efficiency as a primary objective, indicating commercial readiness thinking beyond pure research performance.
In the 2015–2018 period, Mercene Labs was a contributing partner in a larger research effort (PoC-ID) focused on achieving ultra-sensitive detection performance for infectious diseases — a science-driven, performance-first agenda. By 2019, they had shifted into an independent coordinator role on a focused SME Instrument feasibility project, with the explicit goal of making PoC diagnostics cost-efficient using their own synthetic paper technology. This shift — from research participant to product-focused coordinator — signals a move from building expertise inside a consortium to commercializing a proprietary materials innovation of their own.
Mercene Labs appears to be on a commercialization trajectory, transitioning from research contributor to technology owner — partners considering them after 2019 should expect a company focused on licensing or supplying a proprietary synthetic paper product rather than co-developing from scratch.
Mercene Labs has taken both coordinator and participant roles across just two projects, suggesting flexibility rather than a fixed pattern. Their participation in PoC-ID — a multi-country RIA with 13 consortium partners across 6 countries — indicates comfort working in moderately large research consortia. Their 2019 SME Instrument coordination was likely a small, focused feasibility effort, which means their leadership experience is real but limited in scale; they are better characterized as a specialist contributor that can step into a lead role for narrow, technology-specific mandates.
Mercene Labs has connected with 13 unique partners across 6 countries through just two projects, suggesting they join consortia with diverse international memberships rather than working in closed bilateral arrangements. Their network spans Northern and Central Europe, consistent with Swedish SMEs participating in health technology projects.
Mercene Labs occupies a narrow but valuable niche: they are not a diagnostics assay developer or instrument maker, but a materials specialist whose synthetic paper technology enables the physical substrate on which PoC tests run. This positions them as an upstream supplier or enabling technology partner that other diagnostic developers depend on, rather than a direct competitor. For a consortium building a PoC diagnostic product, they bring something few Swedish SMEs offer — a proprietary material innovation with demonstrated EU-funded validation and a track record of both research participation and independent project coordination.
