Media Release
Hound Labs Names Debkishore Mitra as Chief Technology Officer
Veteran bioengineer to bring commercial cannabis breathalyzer to market
FREMONT, Calif. – Feb. 22, 2023 – Hound Labs, Inc., the leader in ultra-sensitive, automated, and analytical breath technologies and creator of the HOUND® CANNABIS BREATHALYZER,1 welcomes Debkishore (Deb) Mitra as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Mitra will direct the company’s research and product development efforts. He will report to Dr. Mike Lynn, the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder.
In his role, Mitra will lead the company’s research and development department and oversee the architecture, design, scientific testing, commercialization, and expansion of Hound Labs’ product offerings. Mitra will partner with the manufacturing team to ramp production of the HOUND® CANNABIS BREATHALYZER in spring 2023.
“Deb brings deep knowledge of the tools and technologies needed to commercialize and scale automated microfluidics and bioengineering products,” said Dr. Lynn.
“His knowledge and wealth of experience in startups, software, product development, and systems architecture will assist Hound Labs in meeting the immediate market demand for our new cannabis testing solution that detects proximate use. This solution is needed as legislators across the country continue to introduce and pass bills like California Assembly Bill 2188 (CA A.B. 2188).”2
– Dr. Mike Lynn, CEO + Co-Founder
California joins six other states that have passed laws providing workplace protections for workers who use cannabis during their off hours which may lead to unfair testing outcomes for employees and applicants.3 These new laws can restrict employers from using testing methods such as oral fluid, urine, and hair whose windows of detection can extend days, weeks, or months. Employers have communicated their need for cannabis testing methods that limit detection windows to the workday and allow them to maintain safety while respecting employees’ privacy for their choices outside of work. The HOUND® CANNABIS BREATHALYZER has been developed to help employers navigate the evolving drug testing regulatory landscape; it is the industry’s first cannabis test that isolates only workday use.
“I’m delighted to join Hound Labs as the company expands its product offerings to address the unprecedented demand for a new category of cannabis testing that fosters safe and fair work environments,” said Mitra.
“It’s exciting to introduce a cannabis breathalyzer supported by employers, employees, unions, and legislators because it will fundamentally improve the lives of so many people.”
– Deb Mitra, Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Before joining Hound Labs, Mitra was Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer for Lucira Health, where he launched the first-ever at-home automated molecular tests for Covid-19 and the flu. He completed his Ph.D. in bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, San Francisco. Mitra received his undergraduate degree in biotechnology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
For more information about the HOUND® CANNABIS BREATHALYZER and to reserve a shipping window, contact the Hound Labs sales team.
About Hound Labs, Inc.
Hound Labs, Inc. is committed to developing ultra-sensitive, automated, and analytical breath technologies that will pave the way to practical and fair solutions for leading public health and safety issues. The Company’s first solution, the HOUND® CANNABIS BREATHALYZER, specifically targets THC molecules, limiting cannabis detection to the workday so employers can create testing policies that help balance workplace safety with employee fairness and privacy. Dr. Mike Lynn, emergency room physician, deputy sheriff (reserve), and former venture capitalist, co-founded Hound Labs, Inc. in 2014.
1 The HOUND® CANNABIS BREATHALYZER is intended to detect recent marijuana use. It does not measure whether, or how much, a person is impaired. It is intended solely for use in employment, law enforcement, and insurance settings. It should not be used for any medical or therapeutic purposes, or for any Federal drug testing programs, such as programs run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. military.
