SeqOne Genomics sets its sights on the international market
Becoming a global leader in personalized genomic medicine: that is the ambition of SeqOne Genomics, a designer and developer of genomic data analysis solutions. This goal has been made possible thanks to €20 million in funding raised by the start-up.
Understanding the specific characteristics of a disease in order to provide better patient care is the goal of personalized medicine. This type of medicine requires access to each individual's "personalized blueprint," or genome, and the ability to decode and interpret the thousands of mutations that dot our DNA sequences. This is where the start-up SeqOne Genomics comes in, offering high-performance genomic data analysis solutions for personalized medicine. Its goal is to improve clinical care for patients with cancer and rare and hereditary diseases.
The company, founded in 2017 with support from SATT AxLR (see box), the University of Montpellier, and Inserm, has already won numerous awards, including the iLab prize and the Hélène Starck prize —which recognizes young researchers supported by the ARC Foundation —and boasts a strong position in the French market. It is a winning model for the company, which took a new step forward on January 24 by raising €20 million to accelerate the deployment of genomic medicine with a view to international development.
Change of scale
"We are already established in half of France's university hospitals and four of the largest private sites, so we have clearly demonstrated that our product works and meets a real market need," says Jean-Marc Holder, Head of Strategy and Innovation at SeqOne. The next step for the start-up is to "scale up the business." This change of scale has been made possible by the fundraising and will take place in three main areas.
"Firstly, internationalization, "explains Jean-Marc Holder. "In Europe first and foremost, and to this end we will be doubling our workforce by the end of the year." This expansion will see the start-up grow from 40 to 80 employees and will enable it to "establish a more extensive commercial network across the region." But SeqOne Genomics has bigger and further-reaching ambitions, with its sights set on the US market. "It's a market that many people dream of, but it requires careful preparation."
New treatments
Second area of development: investment in big data. "Or rather 'fat data', given the volume of data involved—thousands of mutations per patient, bearing in mind that each genome is equivalent to a 500 GB hard drive, "corrects Jean-Marc Holder. This is one of the major challenges of personalized medicine, and it is SeqOne's strength, which has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to characterize genetic information."This win-win personalization allows patients to be treated more quickly, avoids potentially unnecessary and inappropriate treatments, and ultimately saves money for the healthcare system.
Finally, the third area of development is "the market for biopharmaceutical companies developing new therapies, " says Jean-Marc Holder. The promise of more targeted treatments thanks to a better understanding of disease mechanisms is also what personalized medicine is all about.
SATT AxLR is a technology transfer acceleration company specializing in the maturation and commercialization of innovative projects resulting from public research. It works with most of the public research laboratories located in Eastern Occitanie, one of the most dynamic regions in France and Europe, with nearly 200 laboratories and nearly 11,000 researchers and research staff. Since its creation, SATT AxLR has financed 167 innovation programs, invested €53.4 million, signed 138 transfer contracts with companies, and supported 107 start-ups.