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SafePAS, an Estonian DeepTech hardware startup, has secured €2.5M in funding from Enterprise Estonia (EIS) to expand its groundbreaking drug testing technology globally, the company has announced in a press release.
Its flagship product, DrugHunter, is a portable analyser that can detect drugs in saliva samples in just minutes — a dramatic improvement over traditional lab testing that takes days. This rapid, on-site testing provides legally defensible results that authorities can use immediately.
The device is designed for use by:
- Police officers conducting roadside checks
- Law enforcement agencies
- Event organisers at concerts and festivals
- Road safety officials
SafePAS’ team
The funding comes through the EIC Seal of Excellence program — a European Commission quality certification given to proposals that independent experts rate as “excellent” but couldn’t receive EU funding due to budget constraints. National agencies like EIS step in to fund these top-tier projects, ensuring promising innovations don’t stall.
“Estonian startups are proving they can stand alongside Europe’s best,” said Anna-Liisa Laarits, International Funding Expert at EIS. “Such breakthrough solutions must reach the market quickly — not stall in evaluation. Supporting commercialisation benefits Estonia’s exports, competitiveness and strategic technological sectors.”
This type of grant is non-dilutive, meaning SafePAS doesn’t have to give up any ownership stake in the company. The €2.5M will be used for R&D, certification and preparation for mass manufacturing.
According to CEO Jekaterina Mazina-Šinkar, this funding validates both the technology’s scientific merit and its practical importance for public safety. “EIS’s support allows us to accelerate development, create a smaller, next-generation analyser, and scale adoption with police forces, road-safety stakeholders, and global event organisers. As a non-dilutive instrument, the Seal of Excellence support also reduces investor risk and fast-tracks DrugHunter’s path to market internationally,” she said. Earlier this year, the company has raised €700,000 in a pre-seed round led by BSV Ventures, with participation from Prague-based PurposeTech, EstBAN or Beamline.
