Kordel France – Wild Business Growth Podcast #288: Sense of Smell in Machines, Theta Diagnostics

Machines that can smell. That’s the story of this week’s Wild Business Growth podcast guest, Kordel France. Kordel is the Founder and CTO of Theta Diagnostics. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

• Episode Summary & Player
• Full Transcript
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth podcast Summary

Episode 288: Kordel France – Sense of Smell in Machines, Theta Diagnostics

Kordel France, the Founder and CTO of Theta Diagnostics, joins the show to share his journey from self-driving tractors to developing the sense of smell in robots and machines. Hear how smell sensors work, the top use cases for machines that can smell, how to convince potential clients your technology isn’t too futuristic, the dog breed with the best sense of smell, and the one scent Kordel would smell for the rest of his life. This episode covers everything from ants to I, Robot. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What branch of STEM is Kordel’s favorite
• Where did the idea for Theta Diagnostics come from
• How do you give machines a sense of smell
• What’s the biggest “aha” moment Kordel has had building Theta Diagnostics
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)
• How do you put sense of smell into robots
• What other sense is Kordel fascinated by
• Breathalyzers

Connect with Kordel at ThetaDx.Ai and on LinkedIn.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  • [0:33] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:49] Connect with Kordel at ThetaDx.Ai and on LinkedIn
  • [2:39] Janelle Shane – Wild Business Growth podcast #98: AI Weirdness, Artificial Intelligence Adventurer
  • [3:07] When was the first time Kordel heard of AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  • [4:28] What branch of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is his favorite
  • [5:08] Cracker Barrel

• The Theta Diagnostics Story – Smell & Machines
  • [5:41] Where did the idea for Theta Diagnostics come from
  • [5:57] Seekar Technologies
  • [6:05] Cloud
  • [6:33] Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
  • [7:22] Eiffel Tower
  • [7:45] Computer Vision
  • [8:21] Paris French Pronunciation
  • [8:45] How do you give machines a sense of smell
  • [9:28] Smoke Detector
  • [9:57] Benzyne, Toluene, Heptane
  • [10:12] Bazinga
  • [11:05] How do smell sensors work
  • [12:08] Pheromones
  • [13:09] How do you put sense of smell into robots
  • [14:43] What are the use cases for machines and robots that can smell
  • [15:11] Data, Breathalyzer
  • [15:21] Pneumonia, Influenza (The Flu), Lung Cancer
  • [16:25] Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)
  • [16:53] International Space Station (ISS)
  • [17:28] Homeland Security
  • [18:11] How do you convince potential clients this technology isn’t too futuristic
  • [19:19] Chatbots, ChatGPT
  • [20:33] What’s the biggest “aha” moment Kordel has had building Theta Diagnostics
  • [21:00] Startup
  • [22:10] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Kordel
  • [22:57] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • [22:59] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23

• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [23:22] Sonny from I, Robot
  • [23:26] What other sense is Kordel fascinated by
  • [24:08] German Shepherd
  • [24:26] If Kordel could smell one thing for the rest of his life, what would it be
  • [24:59] Connect with Kordel at ThetaDx.Ai and on LinkedIn
  • [25:27] What are Kordel’s Final Thoughts
  • [26:06] Follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [26:17] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Kordel
  • [26:31] Check out the Wild Business Growth podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [26:32] Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and Threads @MaxBranstetter and TikTok @WildBusinessGrowth
  • [26:35] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [26:40] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Kordel France on the Wild Business Growth podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about it. And smell something with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!