NJIT and NJII Launch PureTrace Labs to Commercialize PFAS Detection Technology

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) today announced the launch of PureTrace Labs, a startup created to bring NJIT-developed technology for rapid detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to market.

The company marks the first official launch from NJII's Venture Studio, supported by an investment of up to $1 million.

The launch event took place Oct. 29, at the Profeta Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where leaders from NJIT and NJII formalized the agreement through an exclusive startup license for NJIT Technology ID 24-016, "Method for Rapid Detection of PFAS." The license was signed on NJIT's behalf by NJIT President Teik Lim and NJII President Michael Johnson for PureTrace Labs.

"PureTrace Labs is the perfect embodiment of what the NJII Venture Studio was designed to do in commercializing intellectual property, and I am very proud of the team in building and starting to deploy a venture fund so quickly," said Johnson.

PureTrace Labs is built upon the research of Hao Chen, professor of chemistry and environmental science at NJIT, whose team developed a paper-spray mass spectrometry method capable of detecting PFAS compounds in water, soil and packaging materials in under three minutes. That breakthrough, published in Journal of Hazardous Material, slashes the time, cost and complexity of traditional PFAS testing.

PFAS - often called "forever chemicals" - are used in applications from firefighting foams to food-packaging, and have been linked with long-term environmental persistence and health concerns. Traditional laboratory testing can take days and requires costly infrastructure; PureTrace's approach offers the potential for portable, on-site analysis in minutes.

The formation of PureTrace Labs illustrates how NJIT's research commercialization pipeline - from discovery to the Center for Translational Research (CTR) to NJII's Venture Studio - enables university innovations to have societal impact faster. It also reflects a deeper institutional shift, says Atam Dhawan, executive director of the CTR, which is reshaping how universities think about impact.

For much of modern academic history, research discoveries have remained confined to journals and conference proceedings for years before reaching practical use. The CTR and Venture Studio model, Dhawan noted, is designed to break that cycle by building an ecosystem where innovation and entrepreneurship advance in parallel with scholarship.

"Society cannot afford the old kind of system - academia has to redefine its role, not only in educating the future leaders, but also innovating solutions for unmet societal needs and bringing them to market," said Dhawan, who also serves as NJIT's senior vice provost for research. "I'm proud Professor Hao Chen's project was funded by our technology innovation translational acceleration (TITA) seed grant program and became the first venture selected by the NJII team through the Venture Studio - a true example of how this academic transformation now carries innovation from the lab to the marketplace."

The startup is led by CEO Cassie Hallberg and has Chen as co-founder and chief scientific officer. Hallberg brings a strong entrepreneurial and industry-driven background in management consulting and startup growth - prior to leading PureTrace she held leadership roles in technology commercialization and business development, focusing on mission-critical engineering products and environmental applications. She holds an MBA and a bachelor's in public policy.

The launch of PureTrace Labs illustrates NJIT and NJII's shared mission to expand the university's impact through innovation and entrepreneurship. NJII's Venture Studio is a model for turning New Jersey-based research discoveries into high-growth startups tackling global challenges. By 2030, Venture Studio aims to launch 10 companies, each with up to $1 million in support.

"Venture Studio aligns perfectly with NJIT and our 2030 strategic plan, which calls for the university to expand our role as a nexus of innovation," said Lim. "Innovation creates solutions to practical problems, which is the focus here today. Venture Studio is a critical addition to NJIT's efforts to turn R&D into products and services that can improve people's lives and, more importantly, bring joy to living.

"We are indeed strengthening and expanding that nexus of innovation."