Vsquared Ventures, Practica Capital and Metaplanet will introduce €4.5 million to the funding, bringing the total amount to €8 million. New capital will support a worldwide commercial organisation, enabling a direct U.S. presence and the launch of new semi-permeable capsule technology will help to unlock breakthroughs in scientific discovery and innovation.
VILNIUS, Lithuania and DENVER, CO, March 23, 2023 – Backed by international investors, Atrandi Biosciences is establishing a direct team to support customers in the U.S. and advancing the global commercialization of its breakthrough microfluidic and single-cell analysis technologies.
Following a €4.5 million funding round led by Vsquared Ventures and completed by Practica Capital and Metaplanet, the microfluidics specialist will provide researchers around the world with the tools and support to accelerate scientific discovery and innovation, from individualised treatment for cancer patients to new and effective therapies for a wide range of other diseases.
“Over twenty years after the human genome was sequenced, science still lacks a fundamental understanding of biology. The main barrier has been the lack of highthroughput, viable technology to culture, manipulate and rigorously analyse biological samples at the level of individual cells,” said Juozas Nainys, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Atrandi Biosciences. “With our new semi-permeable capsule technology, we overcome these limitations and give scientists the tools necessary to fully unleash the potential of single-cell experiments, next-generation genome sequencing, AI-driven drug discovery or personalised medicine.”
Innovations in microfluidics have enabled the study of blood, tumors, pathogens, engineered cell lines, and other samples at individual cell resolution. However, these studies lack the necessary biological information content and scale to fully realise the benefits. The limitations of conventional microfluidic technologies include high cost, limited applicability to different workflow types, and a limited number of single-cell data points analysed.
With its proprietary semi-permeable capsule technology, Atrandi delivers a nextgeneration platform that overcomes all these bottlenecks. By delivering efficient and reliable molecular analysis tools, embracing an open-source approach to assay designs and consumables, and providing world-class scientific support, the Atrandi team is therefore empowering researchers to drastically improve their single-cell and single-molecule workflows.
Disrupting a multi-billion dollar market from Lithuania
“Atrandi’s breakthrough technology will not only disrupt the existing multibillion-dollar liquid handling market, but open up entirely new applications, from personalised oncology to cell-therapy research,” said Lise Rechsteiner, General Partner of Vsquared Ventures. “In doing so, Atrandi can build on its well-oiled commercial business and the decades of experience of a team of top scientists. We are excited to support the innovators at Atrandi in the next phase of their evolution as they expand their global presence into the U.S.”
Founded in 2016 by Harvard-trained pioneers in single-cell genomics under the former name Droplet Genomics, Atrandi has its global headquarters in Vilnius, Lithuania, the home country of its founders and an emerging deep tech hub. The company is firmly rooted in the local ecosystem of innovative start-ups, established biotech corporations, renowned universities and research institutions and already supplies international customers with its high-throughput screening platform Styx and its droplet generator Onyx.
“Usually, top researchers trained at European universities leave Europe to start companies in the United States. In Atrandi’s case, it was the other way around. The team were trained at the best US universities before deciding to start their business out of Vilnius,” says Donatas Keras, Partner at Practica Capital. “This shows how attractive the Lithuanian and European ecosystem has become for entrepreneurs who want to build a global player. It is a testament to the talent and potential of our local ecosystem. Being the first investors in the company and partnering early with such a talented team with roots in our country is a source of immense pride. We look forward to their continued success solving some of the world’s most pressing health challenges.”
Given the significant improvements over conventional technology and the versatility of its new semi-permeable capsule technology, Atrandi intends to massively strengthen its market position. “The upcoming launch of our semi-permeable capsule technology offers a unique opportunity for Atrandi to become synonymous with microfluidics,” said Juozas Nainys. “In Lithuanian, Atrandi means ‘you discover’. And at Atrandi, we are dedicated to advancing scientific discovery and innovation by delivering state-of-theart technologies and services that unlock the full potential of single-cell genomics. With a steadfast commitment to excellence, integrity, and innovation, we strive to be a trusted partner and ally for scientists around the world as they work to unravel the mysteries of biology.”
