The philanthropic sector spends a fraction of what's needed on biosecurity. Most of that goes to research and policy. Almost none goes to people building actual tools and technologies. We want to change that.
Governments spend ~$5.6 billion a year on biodefense. Philanthropic funding is a tiny fraction of that — and most of it goes to research, policy, and advocacy. Very little goes to builders: engineers, developers, and makers who can turn ideas into working prototypes.
Meanwhile, the tools we need — better respirators, air filtration, pathogen detection systems, rapid-response treatments — are technically feasible but aren't being built. The people who could build them don't have funding, workspace, or a path to launch.
Government biodefense spending — mostly institutional, slow-moving
Dedicated philanthropic biosecurity funding (Skoll, 2011 figures)
Incubators focused on biosecurity builders
We focus on the four-pillar framework — pathogen-agnostic defenses that work regardless of the specific threat, because they target constraints that all pathogens share.
Next-gen respiratory protection that's affordable and stockpileable
Clean-air shelters using UV, filtration, and low-cost materials
Metagenomic sequencing to catch novel threats early
Rapid-turnaround treatments and broad-spectrum platforms
Most biosecurity programmes produce papers. Ours produces prototypes.
We recruit engineers, developers, and makers — people who ship things
Residents build a working prototype. No reading groups, no seminars.
At the end, they show what they've built to funders like you
The goal is a lasting organisation, not a PDF
We keep costs low and direct as much as possible to the builders.
Specific amounts available on request. We're happy to discuss funding structures that work for you — grants, sponsorship, or programme-level support.
Advisor
Ph.D. candidate at Oxford University
Advisor
AI researcher and entrepreneur
We'd love to have a conversation — no pitch deck required. Just reach out and we'll set up a call.
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