Berlin startup focuses on ‘entire genome’ evaluation to establish genetic variations with higher accuracy.
German healthtech startup Lucid Genomics has secured €1.3 million in pre-seed funding to advance its AI-driven platform targeted on diagnostics and biomarker identification. The Berlin-based firm, a spin-off from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and Berlin’s Charité College Hospital, goals to reinforce our means to research and perceive genomic information, supporting extra exact drug discovery and diagnostics.
Based by Uirá Souto Melo and Hossein Moeinzadeh, Lucid builds on the analysis of Professors Stefan Mundlos and Martin Vingron, outstanding scientists within the fields of medical genetics and molecular biology.
“Our distinctive power lies in our experience throughout three key areas: cutting-edge DNA sequencing applied sciences, superior AI in genomics, and a deep understanding of the darkish genome,” mentioned the founders in a press release.
The core expertise behind Lucid focuses on analyzing each the “coding” and “non-coding” areas of the genome. The corporate says that almost all genome evaluation strategies sometimes give attention to round 2% of the human genome – the coding areas – overlooking the remaining 98%, which incorporates the non-coding “darkish genome.” Nonetheless, these non-coding areas of our DNA are more and more acknowledged for his or her potential position in illness and different organic processes but stay underexplored because of the complexity of deciphering them.
Lucid claims its machine studying algorithms uncover patterns at midnight genome to establish genetic variations with higher accuracy, extracting new insights from these beforehand uncared for areas. The corporate’s platform is designed to course of entire genome datasets, providing options for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries by way of a Software program-as-a-Service (SaaS) mannequin.
Lucid’s platform is designed to help functions in precision medication, gene modifying, and pharmacogenomics, areas the place full-genome evaluation may result in simpler therapeutic methods. The startup’s ambition is to create a digital answer able to analyzing 100% of DNA sequencing information, which it says may rework medical trials, illness screening, and drug discovery.
The funding spherical was led by Caesar Ventures with help from BIF Companions, One other.Vc, and the MPF Accelerator Program. Lucid plans to make use of the funds to refine its machine studying fashions and additional develop its complete DNA evaluation platform, which has obtained an unique license from the Max Planck Society and Charité for commercialization.
“We’re assured that this entrepreneurial staff goes to create a big effect by bringing extraordinary analysis into the marketplace for higher affected person care and accelerated drug developments.” mentioned Bram Wijlands, Managing Director of Max Planck Innovation.