Dottir Labs brings real-time chemical sensing to industry | Luminate Profile

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Across industries such as aquaculture, biotech, and advanced manufacturing, chemical processes remain largely invisible. Without insight into critical compounds, such as nutrients, CO₂, and waste products, operators struggle to improve efficiency, decarbonize, or implement smart manufacturing.

Dottir Labs is changing that with a compact, field-ready sensor network that delivers continuous, in-line chemical analysis on-site. The idea was sparked by founder Dr. Nili Persits’ experience developing ruggedized sensing systems for the defense industry, and has since evolved through six years of R&D, including work at MIT. The result is a system that transforms Raman spectroscopy from a bulky, expensive lab tool into a small, scalable solution designed for real-world environments.

Making Raman spectroscopy practical for industry

Raman spectroscopy uses laser light scattering to reveal a molecule’s unique “fingerprint,” enabling precise chemical detection without altering the sample. While highly accurate, conventional Raman systems rely on bulky spectrometers, controlled environments, and manual sample collection—factors that have historically limited their use outside of research labs.

Dottir Labs has removed those barriers by eliminating the need for spectrometers and designing its hardware for scalability. Its field-ready probes can be deployed directly into tanks, reactors, or process lines to deliver live readings of multiple compounds without interrupting operations. Data can be collected continuously or at set intervals, giving operators instant insight into changes that affect product quality, environmental compliance, or process efficiency.

“Our system is reagent-free, non-destructive, and built to withstand demanding environments,” said Persits. “We want high-resolution chemical data to be as easy to access as a temperature or pressure reading.”

The company is initially targeting the recirculating aquaculture market, where maintaining precise water chemistry is critical to animal health and productivity. With five pilot sites planned for 2026 and interest from a Norwegian equipment manufacturer, Dottir sees aquaculture as a fast path to deployment due to its low regulatory hurdles and strong technical fit.

Scaling for cross-industry impact

Beyond aquaculture, Dottir’s technology has applications in pharmaceutical manufacturing, environmental monitoring, and oil and gas. By embedding chemical visibility directly into everyday operations, industries can reduce waste, cut costs, and move toward more sustainable, data-driven practices.

“Dottir Labs makes it possible to track chemicals in real time, directly in the field—whether it’s inside a fish tank, a bioreactor, or an industrial process line,” explained Persits. “Our compact sensor network replaces traditional lab equipment with rugged, scalable technology that continuously measures key compounds. The result: faster decisions, fewer losses, and more sustainable operations across industries.”

By shifting from episodic sampling to continuous visibility, Dottir Labs is working to move manufacturing into the era of high-resolution, real-time data—giving operators the ability to respond immediately to changing conditions.

Leveraging Luminate‘s optics network

Dottir joined the Luminate NY accelerator in 2025 to gain not only funding but also access to deep optics expertise and a global network. Rochester’s concentration of photonics talent provides the company with a unique advantage as it refines its hardware for scale and explores new markets.

Looking ahead, Dottir plans to deploy pilot units, expand its engineering team, and accelerate development of its analytics platform—momentum that could be boosted by follow-on funding at Luminate Finals.

The companies of Luminate cohort 8 will compete for $2 million in follow-on funding at Luminate Finals 2025 on October 22. The program is funded by Empire State Development’s Finger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative. For more information about the Luminate accelerator and Finals 2025, visit luminate.org.