France‑based Ocean Diagnostics completed a pilot clinical evaluation showing its rapid sequencing–based blood test matched gold‑standard blood cultures at 100% concordance and detected additional pathogens missed by culture, the company said. The startup plans clinical trials in 2026 to support CE marking and ultimately pursue FDA clearance for a commercial rapid sepsis diagnostic meant to cut time to pathogen ID to under four hours. Ocean Dx’s platform combines high‑volume sample prep, pan‑bacterial PCR, nanopore sequencing and a 1,000‑pathogen database to detect viable bacteria from up to 10 mL of whole blood, even during antibiotic treatment. Antoine Dewitte, the Bordeaux University Hospital investigator, reported the test detected all culture‑positive bloodstream infections and identified additional organisms. If validated in larger clinical trials, the test could change empirical antibiotic prescribing in ICUs and reduce reliance on slow culture workflows. Faster, accurate pathogen ID would affect antimicrobial stewardship, diagnostics vendors, and hospital lab operations.