This story is part of our May 2026 issue. To read the print version, click here.

These days, it seems like everybody has a food allergy. Not quite everybody, but as of 2024, nearly 22 million people in the U.S. have one or more, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

A sibling duo in Sacramento is focused on helping this large sector of the population. With their startup, DipDetect, co-founders Bhawna Sharma Goraya and Danish Sharma are developing a test strip to check for food allergens in seconds.

DipDetect was recognized as a Top 8 startup in the 2026 Capitalize: Next Gen competition, hosted by the Sacramento Kings. The strip works like a pH test strip with color-coded zones, each monitoring one of six allergens: dairy, nuts, gluten, shellfish, whey and oat. When exposed to a sample, the strip changes color to show which allergens are present, giving users a quick DIY safety check. The team is starting with beverages, with plans to expand into foods once they secure more funding and lab support.

There is competition in this market, but the co-founders say other devices are more expensive, too bulky or slow. As food allergies rise globally, the duo believes their compact device could reduce stress when eating out or traveling, helping people avoid missing out on experiences — or, worse, being rushed to the hospital. 

With Danish Sharma having had a nut allergy since he was a kid, he knows that reality all too well. He usually has EpiPens with him, but sometimes he forgets them. This happened at a comedy show in San Francisco when he took a bite from a Thai dish, and 10 minutes later, his face started puffing up. That uncertainty is stressful when going out to eat.

“For example, I was out at a restaurant earlier this week,” he says, “and I’m making my order, and I’m like, ‘Hey, I know it’s a chicken sandwich and everything, but I just want to double check there’s no nuts in it whatsoever.’ And I got a very unsure response from them. Later, I did find out it had nuts in it. But I have so much anxiety when I’m going out to eat and I’m simply just getting a chicken sandwich.”

In 2024, Bhawna graduated with a master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins. Danish is a current undergraduate student at Sacramento State. Cheng Wang, assistant professor in the Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Sacramento State University, says Danish demonstrates “strong critical thinking skills” and contributes well-considered insights during class discussions.

Wang also shared insights on DipDetect from the judging committee — composed of faculty members from the same department — that served at the Annual College of Business Pitch Competition in fall 2025.

“The DipDetect proposal won first place out of more than 25 teams,” Wang says. “The committee was impressed with their carefully designed business model, as well as their meaningful contribution to creating a more supportive and health-conscious environment.”

The committee also noted that DipDetect’s business model, which highlights direct-to-consumer services and partnerships with universities to support students, stood out in the initial screening and the final presentation. The co-founders also brought samples of commercially available test strips to demonstrate their business concept, making the presentation both effective and engaging, Wang adds.

DipDetect was also recognized as a Top 8 startup in the 2026 Kings Capitalize competition. According to the co-founders, DipDetect’s potential goes beyond supporting people with allergies. In fact, many people that have shown interest don’t have allergies, but consider themselves “health conscious.”

“They want to know what’s in their drinks, what’s in their food, or maybe they’re just trying to live a specific lifestyle,” Bhawna says. “And this would help them achieve that. Parents and schools have been really interested in this, just so they don’t have scares. Airlines also seem to be interested in this because right now, the only prevention they have is for you to mark it on your ticket.”

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