Mosquitoes and the diseases they carry are spreading to new areas. The World Health Organization ( WHO ) states that rising temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, and global travel are reshaping the regions where disease-carrying mosquitoes can survive.
WHO indicates that the number of cases of dengue fever, a viral disease transmitted by mosquito bites, more than doubled within a year. In 2023, there were 6.5 million reported cases globally, and in 2024, the record number of 14.6 million cases was reached.
Mosqitter, a startup based in Pennsylvania with 30 employees, believes that to solve this problem, it is not enough to simply eliminate mosquitoes. The company initially developed a device that does not use chemicals; instead, it attracts and captures female mosquitoes by mimicking the body's heat, scent, and breathing signals.
Mosqitter, co-founder and CEO, Anastasiia Romanova, stated to TechCrunch that the company was initially founded to provide more sustainable mosquito control products to markets that are still heavily reliant on chemical methods. Romanova mentioned that the company is currently operating over 5,000 devices across five continents, while the last time the company was reported on was in 2022, when its number of devices had just exceeded 250. Today, this startup hopes to transform these traps into a AI-driven monitoring network to identify mosquito species, track changes in their populations, and issue early warnings about the risk of new diseases.
Mosqitter began research and development in Ukraine in 2019 and started commercial operations in 2021, with the company considering that year as the official entry into the market. Initially, the company focused on studying the behavior of mosquitoes. Only female mosquitoes bite; they look for blood before laying eggs. They typically lay eggs about every three weeks, with each batch consisting of around 100 to 200 eggs.
Romanova said, "We've spotted an opportunity: if we can capture the female mosquito at the moment just before she lays her eggs, we might be able to reduce the population of mosquitoes and prevent their numbers from continuing to grow. That's why we combined various elements such as heat to mimic human skin temperature, odors to simulate the scent of human skin, and light. In the Grand model," referring to the company's top-of-the-line product, "we also use carbon dioxide to simulate human respiration."
Mosqitter How to use AI
Mosqitter made its debut this Wednesday as part of the Startup Battlefield startup competition held in San Francisco's financial district by TechCrunch. The company is utilizing AI to identify mosquitoes captured by its devices. Romanova stated that its computer vision system will analyze biometric features to distinguish between different species.
In order to identify mosquitoes, Mosqitter inputs the images into a neural network, compares the results with an external database, and entomologists then verify the conclusions. Subsequently, the company will provide a confidence score based on the degree of consistency of these judgments.
Romanova said, "You can imagine it as three judges hearing a case and making a ruling."
Mosqitter will also input environmental data such as weather, wind force, and humidity into the system. The company stated that as the data accumulates, it plans to use this information to predict changes in the mosquito population and potential health risks.
Mosqitter The current product portfolio mainly revolves around two devices. The flagship product Mosqitter Grand is suitable for larger areas and public spaces, while Mosqitter Mini is aimed at smaller residential spaces and can also be deployed as a portable monitoring device. The company plans to officially launch Febris Monitoring System next month, adding another layer of data capability for mosquito population monitoring and the assessment of potential transmission of mosquito-borne diseases.
Romanova said, "It's very important to clarify that Febris does not diagnose diseases. We cannot determine whether a particular mosquito carries dengue fever. What we can say is that a certain species of mosquito exists, and knowing this helps to highlight the potential increase in risks associated with diseases that can be transmitted by that species."
The company is seeking B2B partners globally, especially those distributors who have established sales networks and maintain relationships with governments and retailers, said Olga Diachuk, the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Mosqitter. Unlike Mosqitter's hardware products, Febris is targeted at institutional clients, including governments, public health and mosquito control agencies, airports, municipal departments, as well as universities that require continuous mosquito monitoring.
Brazil is an example of Mosqitter's expansion. Brazil faces a significant burden of dengue fever, and the co-founders stated that the company has established local manufacturing and sales operations there. The startup also considers the United States, Greece, India, Ukraine, and Nigeria as key markets, adopting different sales strategies for each market.
In Greece, Mosqitter has collaborated with a company with a long history in pest control. In the United States, the company sells Mini devices directly to consumers through Amazon and its own website. The company is also working with the UK Health Security Agency to deploy Febris at locations including Heathrow and Gatwick airports. International travel can introduce mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases from other regions, Romanova indicates, which highlights the necessity for continuous monitoring.
Romanova said, "We believe that with the development of Febris Monitoring System, this business segment could see significant growth, as the government is the main buyer of mosquito monitoring data."
The Mosqitter Mini has a retail price of $199, while the professional version Grand has a system price of $1999. The company makes money through hardware sales, whereas Febris generates recurring revenue through monitoring, dashboards, analysis, and data services.
According to Romanova, Mosqitter is expected to generate revenue of over $1 million in 2026. The income generated by Febris has just begun to be recorded in the books, but the company anticipates that based on the value of the contracts currently under bidding, the data business is expected to bring in over $3.5 million in revenue next year.
Mosqitter is raising $5 million in two rounds: first, $1 million, and then another $4 million. The company stated that this split approach is related to the milestones they hope to achieve through Febris Monitoring System. To date, Mosqitter has already raised $1.9 million in funding.
There's a story behind those names too. Although most people might think that “Mosqitter” is a combination of “mosquito” and “quitter”, Diachuk claims otherwise. It is actually composed of “mosquito” and “eater”; and when the company was mainly focused on catching mosquitoes, this name was more appropriate.
