AI-powered microbiology company becomes the first laboratory tenant at Link Innovation Labs
TOPEKA, Kan. (August 13, 2026) – Spore.Bio, a global biotechnology company headquartered in France, has selected Topeka for its latest U.S. expansion and will become the first laboratory tenant at Link Innovation Labs.
The company’s decision represents a significant milestone for Topeka’s growing biotechnology and innovation ecosystem. It also demonstrates the city’s ability to attract international companies seeking access to customers, laboratory infrastructure and business development resources in the central United States.
Spore.Bio currently maintains a U.S. presence in New York. Its new Topeka operation will improve access to customers throughout the region while supporting the company’s continued growth across the United States.
“Topeka gives us what we need most right now: proximity to our customers and deep industrial roots,” said Amine Raji, co-founder and CEO of Spore.Bio. “As Spore.Bio scales across the U.S., we’re excited to help build the Kansas biotech ecosystem from the ground up.”
Link Innovation Labs Welcomes Its First Laboratory Tenant
Located in the heart of Topeka’s Innovation District, Link Innovation Labs provides move-in-ready laboratory space and shared resources for biotechnology companies, researchers, entrepreneurs and other innovation-driven organizations.
Its available resources include:
- Flexible private laboratory suites
- Shared laboratory space and equipment
- Coworking memberships
- Collaborative meeting areas
- Business development resources
- Connections to researchers and industry partners
The ready-to-use laboratory infrastructure allowed Spore.Bio to establish its Topeka operation and begin work more quickly than would have been possible through a traditional facility development process.
“Welcoming Spore.Bio as our first lab tenant is an exciting milestone for Link Innovation Labs,” said Stephanie Moran, senior vice president of innovation at GO Topeka. “Their decision to establish operations here reflects exactly why Link was created—to provide innovative companies with the space, resources and connections they need to grow.”
Moran said the project also reinforces Topeka’s ability to compete for international companies searching for strategic access to customers, business partners and growth opportunities.
Spore.Bio Expands AI-Powered Microbiology Platform
Spore.Bio has developed a reagent-free microbiology platform that uses artificial intelligence and multimodal biophotonics to monitor microbial contamination in real time.
According to the company, its technology can detect and quantify living microorganisms in less than 10 minutes without requiring dyes or complex sample handling. The platform is designed to provide production, quality assurance and regulatory teams with actionable contamination data in minutes rather than days.
Spore.Bio’s technology supports quality control and contamination monitoring in industries including:
- Food and beverage manufacturing
- Pharmaceuticals
- Cosmetics
- Industrial production
The company’s systems have been deployed across multiple continents. Spore.Bio has raised more than $35 million and is backed by Singular, LocalGlobe, Point72, No Label Ventures and Google.
Topeka Builds Its Biotechnology and Innovation Ecosystem
Spore.Bio joins a growing group of organizations operating within Link Innovation Labs, including Plug and Play Topeka, the Washburn Small Business Development Center and Sparrow Coffee at Link.
The facility also supports a broader community of entrepreneurs, researchers and industry partners working to advance innovation and commercialization throughout Topeka and Shawnee County.
As Link Innovation Labs continues leasing private laboratory suites, shared lab space, coworking memberships and collaborative meeting areas, Spore.Bio’s arrival demonstrates the facility’s role as a launchpad for companies seeking an accessible and innovation-ready location in the Midwest.
About GO Topeka
GO Topeka works to create economic opportunities for companies and residents throughout Shawnee County by implementing an economic development strategy built around the community’s distinctive assets.
The organization operates under the Greater Topeka Partnership and serves as the area’s lead economic development agency. Learn more at GoTopeka.com.
About Link Innovation Labs
Link Innovation Labs advances entrepreneurship and innovation in Topeka and Shawnee County by providing flexible laboratory and office space, coworking options and collaborative areas for startups, researchers and growing businesses.
Operated by GO Topeka under the Greater Topeka Partnership, Link supports commercialization, business growth and industry collaboration in Topeka’s Innovation District. Learn more at LinkTopeka.com.
About Spore.Bio
Spore.Bio is a Paris-based biotechnology company developing AI-powered microbiology technology for rapid contamination monitoring.
Its reagent-free platform combines multimodal biophotonics with proprietary deep-learning technology to detect and quantify living microorganisms in less than 10 minutes. Spore.Bio serves customers in food and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics across multiple continents.
