Press Releases
Scientifica Venture Capital and Lazio Innova Invest in Digital Biotech with GenomeUp’s JuliaOmix
Scientifica Venture Capital, the innovative venture capital firm that supports researchers and start-ups in the field of scientific research and technological innovation, with a primary focus on advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, and artificial intelligence, has chosen to finance GenomeUp. GenomeUp is the company known for developing the digital services ecosystem JuliaOmix. They are joined by Innova Venture, the venture capital fund of the Lazio Region financed by POR 2014/2020. The funding round includes investors such as Scientifica Venture Capital, Lazio Innova through the Innova Venture fund, Smart Lab Partner, Mailbì, MGM, and Finalca.
GenomeUp becomes part of Scientifica Venture Capital’s portfolio, which already includes six other start-ups. These start-ups receive both financial support and infrastructure assistance from the venture capital firm, thanks to the 1,400 m2 proprietary laboratories located in L’Aquila, which are available for start-ups affiliated with Scientifica Venture Capital.
The GenomeUp team, with JuliaOmix, has developed an innovative ecosystem of digital services that leverage artificial intelligence to support the diagnosis of genetic diseases.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), there are up to 8,000 rare diseases, most of which have a genetic origin, affecting more than 400 million people worldwide, including approximately 60 million European and American citizens.
GenomeUp’s technology, JuliaOmix, can be utilized by doctors, genetic biologists, research centres, laboratories, and hospitals to expedite diagnosis times, improve patient care, streamline laboratory diagnostic processes, and provide insights for health prevention.
Through sophisticated bioinformatics algorithms and artificial intelligence, JuliaOmix facilitates the rapid identification of potential pathogenic DNA variants, even in prenatal and neonatal screening processes. It harnesses data from the largest scientific search engines and databases to achieve faster diagnoses and increasingly effective therapies at reduced costs compared to the past.
GenomeUp combines some of the most innovative technologies, such as DNA sequencing, bioinformatics algorithms, and artificial intelligence, actively contributing to the digital transformation in healthcare.
This objective aligns closely with the values of Scientifica Venture Capital, which considers both the social and environmental impact a project can generate and the high technological component as a guarantee of economic competitiveness when deciding to invest in a start-up.
Riccardo D’Alessandri, Managing Partner of Scientifica Venture Capital, stated, “Investing in GenomeUp means contributing to strengthening a technology that directly impacts the well-being of humankind. Furthermore, the research team’s expertise and market sizing data for the technologies encompassed by JuliaOmix pave a sure path to success for GenomeUp. Investing in GenomeUp, with the support of Innova Venture, reaffirms our commitment to supporting entrepreneurial initiatives that originate locally, a vitality that is consolidated through synergistic collaborations between private and public players.”
