Solving the DNA Dilemma

Imagine if unlocking the secrets of your DNA could revolutionize medicine, but at the risk of your most personal data becoming public. That's the tradeoff Dr. Maria Chatzou Dunford is trying to eliminate with Lifebit.

By 2025, we'll have sequenced 500 million human genomes. Yet, we're barely scratching the surface of using this data for groundbreaking medical discoveries. For those with rare diseases, genetic data can be a game-changer, boosting accurate diagnoses by up to fivefold. Enter the world of Clinico-genomic databases – a potential goldmine for precision medicine, provided they're locked down tight- er than Fort Knox. Because let's face it, no one wants their genetic information on display.

Lifebit is stepping up as the guardian of the genomic revolution. Their tech is like a secure vault for genetic data, enabling researchers to dive deep into insights without risking data exposure. With a user experience that's top of its class and a treasure chest of tools and AI features, Lifebit is the chosen ally for pharma giants, research institutes, and genetics firms in their quest to harness the power of genomic data.

Maria and Lifebit are ensuring our genetic blueprints aid medical breakthroughs while keeping our personal data under wraps, echo- ing the ancient Greek knack for solving even the toughest riddles.

The company is a graduate of TechStars accelerator and works with top-tier pharmaceutical organizations, global research institutes, genetics companies, and other institutions globally, including the likes of Genomics England and Boehringer Ingelheim. In 2021 the company secured funding of $60 million, from a top-tier fund, Tiger Global. In February of 2023, Lifebit announced its part in the BeginNGS project, a genome sequencing program supported by Greece’s National Organization of Public Health. The initiative will enable the sequencing of genomes of 1,000 newborns in its first year for the early detection of rare diseases, aiming to expand the sequencing to all newborns in Greece until 2027.