Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for the biotech sector. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we decided to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising human genomics startups.
Heat Map: 5 Top Human Genomics Startups
Using our StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 1.379.000+ startups & scaleups, we looked at innovation in the field of biotech. For this research, we identified 133 relevant solutions and picked 5 to showcase below. These companies are chosen based on a data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and relevance of technology, among others. Depending on your specific criteria, the top picks might look entirely different.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 startups & scaleups developing innovative human genomics solutions. Moreover, the Heat Map reveals regions that observe a high startup activity and illustrates the geographic distribution of all 133 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
Quantgene – Precision Medicine
Genomics has seen unprecedented growth over the last decade, with genome sequencing costs plummeting by orders of magnitude. This has made deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing a routine affair, opening up multiple applications in healthcare. The identification of disease-causing mutations from patient samples allows clinicians to eliminate trial-and-error and offer precise treatments.
Quantgene is a US-based startup that leverages the deep human genome for precision medicine. The startup’s Griffin Deep Genomics Platform combines deep genomic sequencing and artificial intelligence (AI) to identify mutational patterns across 272 genes and 70.000 locations. This solution enables highly precise detection of diseases, such as cancer, from a single molecule in a blood sample.
Lumminary – Ancestry Testing
As human genomics become more accessible, startups offer a range of consumer-facing genomics services targeted at the general public. These services leverage the wealth of information that DNA holds about ancestry and predisposition to diseases, among other traits. Ancestry testing, one of the most popular of these direct-to-consumer genetic services, helps people trace their origins, supplement genealogical research, and also provide hints about inherited diseases.
British startup Lumminary is a one-stop-shop for human genomics services. The startup offers solutions for ancestry DNA testing to reveal family history, going back thousands of years. These include maternal and paternal lineage testing, as well as ancestral origins based on reference populations. Lumminary also provides personalized DNA-based nutrition and fitness recommendations.
Phosphorus – Preventive Healthcare
Different people have varying levels of predisposition to different diseases, based on the mutations in their genomes. Advancements in human genomics allow easy identification of these mutations and quantification of risk for different diseases, such as diabetes or cancer. This further enables patients to actively incorporate lifestyle changes, such as limiting sugar consumption for prediabetes, that minimize the risk of diseases.
Phosphorus offers genomic testing for preventive healthcare. Phosphorus One is a robust and comprehensive genetic test. The startup’s solution tests for predisposition to heart disease, inherited cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as infertility and vision loss.
GenomiQa – Clinical Genomics
As human genome sequencing becomes more accessible and affordable, solutions are diversifying from clinical trials and gene-based therapies to more regular applications in clinics. Clinical genomics empowers doctors to recommend the best treatment and medical plans for patients. Unlike generic treatment plans for all patients with the same diagnosis, clinical genomics enables personalized medicine and further minimizes the risk of adverse side-effects.
Australian startup GenomiQa uses human genomics analysis to determine novel markers for diseases. CapeDx, the startup’s end-to-end solution, provides whole genome sequencing and analysis for personalized cancer treatment. CapeDx matches patients’ profiles with approved treatments and drugs. GenomiQa also extends the solution as software-as-a-service (SaaS) for healthcare and genomics companies.
Zenome – Secure Genomic Data
With the rapid growth of genomics-based startups and services, there are concerns about the misuse of genomic data. However, the increasing amount of sequenced genomes also hold promise for developments in biotech and pharma industries. Particularly, there is a need for genomic data storage and sharing platforms that respect the privacy of the users uploading their genome sequences.
Zenome is a Russian startup that develops a distributed environment for storage, processing, and exchange of genomic data. The Zenome Network allows users to securely sell their genetic data to genomics companies and researchers. The solution employs the blockchain technology and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks to maintain the privacy of its users.
What About The Other 128 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence and enable you to achieve your goals faster. The 5 human genomics startups showcased above are promising examples out of 133 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, get in touch.
