2013
THE IDEA
NIMA was founded in 2013, sparked by a chance connection between two MIT students, Shireen Yates and Scott Sundvor. Both lived with food allergies, gluten intolerance and the daily uncertainty of not knowing whether food was safe.
Tired of guessing, hoping, and crossing their fingers at the table, they set out to build something the world had never seen before: a portable device that could detect gluten in minutes. NIMA was born.
2014–2016
A BREAKTHROUGH
NIMA’s launch introduced a new way to test food for gluten outside the lab, earning national attention and marking a major milestone for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
The device was recognized as one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2015 and winner of the 2016 TechCrunch Hardware Battlefield at Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
2017–2019
REAL-WORLD USE
Following its early recognition, NIMA moved beyond the lab and into everyday life. People with celiac disease began using the device at home, while traveling, and when eating outside the home.
During this period, NIMA became a trusted tool for testing food in real-world settings, helping users reduce uncertainty and make more informed choices.
2020
THE PAUSE
NIMA was acquired by Medline Industries and shortly after, global supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic halted capsule production. As a result, gluten testing with NIMA became temporarily unavailable.
2021–2024
THE NEED ENDURED
During this period, the product went quiet, but the need for reliable gluten detection did not. Parents, patients, and caregivers continued to ask when gluten testing would return.
Search interest and online discussion around portable gluten testing, celiac safety tools, and gluten detection devices remained strong, reinforcing the ongoing need for accurate, consumer-friendly testing solutions. That persistence and sustained demand played a critical role in shaping NIMA’s future.
2025
THE RETURN
A transformational investment from RA Capital Management marked a turning point for NIMA. For co-founder Peter Kolchinsky, the decision was deeply personal. His son was diagnosed with celiac disease at a young age and NIMA had been part of how his family navigated everyday life.
With new leadership, new engineering teams, and the resources needed to solve the quality and supply chain challenges, NIMA was reimagined from the ground up.
Over nine months, the team rethought and rebuilt NIMA:
- A next-generation gluten detection sensor
- Newly engineered single-use test capsules
- An updated NIMA Now™ app
- A more reliable and intuitive testing experience
2025–Today
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Under the leadership of CEO Mike Glick, NIMA is guided by a clear and deeply human mission: Help people living with celiac disease feel safer, more confident, and more in control.
The new NIMA is about more than testing food. It’s about restoring trust through science. Advancing technology with purpose and supporting the gluten-free community with care, clarity, and truth.
NIMA now delivers 10 ppm detection with 99% accuracy, verified through third-party validation by Bia Diagnostics (October 2025).
