908 Devices outlined its strategy to focus exclusively on handheld chemical and drug detection technologies for public safety and defense markets, following the divestiture of its life-sciences business line about 15 months ago.
Speaking at a Canaccord Genuity event, President, CEO and Co-Founder Kevin Knopp said the company is returning to the market that originally shaped its development. Founded in 2012, 908 Devices built a battery-powered handheld mass spectrometry platform designed to bring lab-grade analysis to users in the field.
“We’re fully focused on the category of defining handheld detection for these public health, safety, and defense markets,” Knopp said. The company’s products are intended to identify synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, nitazenes and xylazine, as well as toxic industrial chemicals and chemical threats.
Speed Seen as Critical for Police and Hazmat Users
Knopp said field-based analysis can help law enforcement agencies address laboratory backlogs that can stretch from six to nine months. Under that model, officers can receive results in roughly 30 seconds with certain 908 Devices products, he said, allowing agencies to use results as presumptive evidence where state rules allow and move cases more quickly through the justice system.
He cited the Ohio Attorney General’s Office as a customer working to use handheld analysis to triage cases amid forensic-lab backlogs. Knopp also said rapid identification is important to fire and hazardous-materials teams responding to chemical leaks, where personnel need to determine potential exposure risks quickly.
Portfolio Ranges From Drug Screening to Chemical-Agent Detection
908 Devices’ flagship MX908 device is deployed in drug detection, corrections, law enforcement, military and defense applications, according to Knopp. The company has about 3,000 MX908 units in the field. He described the device as the company’s most sensitive platform, designed to detect synthetic opioids, chemical weapons and other chemical agents.
The company’s VipIR product combines FTIR and Raman technologies with algorithms to identify bulk chemicals. Knopp said the device can measure 38,000 analytes and is aimed at customers such as customs agencies, ports of entry and hazmat teams.
Its recently acquired NIRLab device is a lower-priced handheld product designed for routine drug screening. Knopp said users can place the device against a suspected counterfeit pill or substance, and it can identify approximately 400 drug substances within seconds. The product connects to a cloud-based subscription service.
Knopp said NIRLab originated at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and has an established European scientific foundation but limited U.S. market exposure. 908 Devices intends to use its sales organization to cross-sell the platform into U.S. public-safety accounts.
The company sees a roughly $200 million directly addressable market for NIRLab, within a broader $1.5 billion to $2 billion detection-equipment market, Knopp said. He also pointed to legislation in Colorado and several other states that is changing how frontline officers can screen drugs for arrest decisions, potentially reducing reliance on colorimetric testing kits.
Funding Programs and Army Opportunity
Knopp said state and local customers frequently rely on grant programs to purchase detection equipment. He cited recent funding levels for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, the Department of Justice’s COPS program and the Urban Area Security Initiative, saying these programs could support equipment purchases over multiple years.
In defense, 908 Devices is involved in the Army’s AVCAD program through its MX908 technology and partner Smiths Detection. Knopp said the company recently completed a low-rate initial production contract by delivering approximately 150 component sets to Smiths Detection for government testing and preparation for a potential next phase.
The government is evaluating whether to continue with a custom-developed solution, deploy the commercial MX908 device, or pursue a hybrid approach, according to Knopp. He said the company believes its technology is well positioned because its aerosol and vapor detection capabilities have already been tested and validated.
Manufacturing Capacity and Product Roadmap
CFO Joe Griffith said 908 Devices consolidated manufacturing in Danbury, Connecticut, during 2025. The company produced about 700 devices in 2025, while its approximately 40,000-square-foot facility has capacity to produce devices in the thousands, he said. Scaling production would primarily require additional labor and allocation of facility space.
Griffith listed U.S. prices ranging from $10,000 for NIRLab to more than $100,000 for VipIR. The MX908 has a list price of about $75,000, while the AVCAD solution is priced near $90,000, he said.
The company ended the quarter on June 30 with more than $100 million in cash, Griffith said. He added that 908 Devices expects its adjusted EBITDA loss to be in the mid-single-digit millions during 2026, providing what he described as multiple years of runway for organic growth, international expansion, product launches and potential acquisitions.
Looking ahead, Knopp said the company expects to release a next-generation MX908 near the end of the year. The new version is expected to be about half the size and weight of the current device, with enhanced cloud connectivity. He said those improvements could also broaden opportunities for deployment on unmanned vehicles and drones, though current drone-related sales are primarily handled through integrators and distributors.
About TG Therapeutics (NASDAQ:TGTX)
TG Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in New York City that specializes in developing targeted therapies for hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases. The company's research strategy focuses on the modulation of B-cell biology through novel antibody and small‐molecule agents. Since its founding in 2003, TG Therapeutics has built a diversified portfolio aimed at addressing unmet medical needs in oncology and immunology.
In December 2022, TG Therapeutics achieved its first commercial milestone when ublituximab-xiiy (marketed as Briumvi® in collaboration with Biogen) received U.S.
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