Swiss genomics startup GenomSys closes $9.35 million Series A to disrupt the processing and sharing of genomics data

GenomSys, a Swiss software startup company developing ISO compliant technology for efficient processing and sharing of DNA data, has raised $9.35 million (CHF 9.3 million) in Series A funding to accelerate development progress of its MPEG-G-based solution for DNA data processing.

The round was led by Preon Capital, with participation from a group of European and U.S. investors, including the Elysia Capital and Pygar family offices, linked respectively to the founder of the European unicorn Advanced Accelerator Applications and to the multinational diagnostic company Diasorin. In conjunction with the funding, GenomSys also announced that Pascal Levensohn, Managing Director of these funds, has joined the its board of directors.

Founded in 2016 by Claudio Alberti, GenomSys is the only interoperable ISO compliant platform to easily and securely manage genomic data. The startup is currently developing ISO compliant, enterprise-grade tools and applications for efficient processing and sharing of DNA data, enabling the progress of large-scale genomics and personalized medicine. GenomSys offers solutions to securely compress, browse and store individual DNA on any devices and share them with practitioners for diagnostics, pharmacogenomics, personalized treatments, and many more.

GenomSys is composed by engineers with extensive experience in research, development and project management in high-end domains and industrial segments such as digital signal processing, telecommunications, information security and avionics. Their experience spans from embedded software and firmware for low-power devices to hard real-time programming in safety-critical environments up to the design and integration of desktop and server applications in the digital multimedia and telecommunications market. All the engineers are extensively accustomed to the ISO process of standardization, with experience in development and normative editing of audiovisual coding, systems and conformance testing standards.

GenomSys’ product portfolio includes solutions to compress, browse, store and share genomic information based on the model of digital media compression and streaming technology. Decreasing costs of genomic sequencing are enabling DNA analysis to become mainstream, promising wider accessibility for medical professionals to generate new perspectives. GenomSys’ solutions solve the associated challenges from the ever-increasing data volumes, format proliferation, storage costs and analytic complexity caused by this data explosion.

Based on the newly released ISO MPEG-G Standard, GenomSys’ Software Suite “will bring a dramatic reduction in genomic files’ size, a faster information transfer and more efficient data analysis”, says Claudio Alberti, GenomSys’ co-founder.

As stated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), MPEG-G “provides the enabling technology that will allow the community to create an ecosystem of novel, interoperable, solutions in the field of genomic information processing”. MPEG-G will also bring genomic information to personal devices, which will accelerate individuals’ access to personalized medicine, while enforcing strict data-privacy standards.