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Clear Labs

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Overview

Clear Labs, Inc. is a private genomics testing company headquartered in San Carlos, California, specializing in fully automated next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms for various diagnostic applications.

Founding and Funding

Founded in 2014 by Sasan Amini and Mahni Ghorashi, Clear Labs has secured significant funding, including a $60 million Series C round in May 2021, bringing its total funding to over $100 million.

Technology and Products

Clear Labs offers several key products:

  1. Clear Safety: A platform for food safety testing, detecting pathogens like Salmonella, Listeria, and E.coli with high accuracy and rapid turnaround times.
  2. Infectious Disease Solutions: Including a whole genome sequencing surveillance solution for SARS-CoV-2 and its mutations.
  3. Clear Dx™: A fully automated NGS platform for complete characterization of select pathogens, used in clinical and public health labs.

Key Features and Benefits

  • Automation: Significantly reduces manual steps and potential for human error.
  • Speed and Accuracy: Delivers detailed test results within 24 hours.
  • Data Analysis: Includes cloud software for laboratory management and genetic analysis.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Holds certifications from organizations like AOAC and the National Poultry Improvement Plan.

Infrastructure and Partnerships

Clear Labs leverages Google Cloud services to process large volumes of genomic data efficiently, using various Google Cloud products to support their bioinformatics pipeline.

Impact and Expansion

The company has achieved significant penetration in U.S. public health laboratories and plans to expand its capabilities to test for additional pathogens and offer predictive analytics. Clear Labs aims to continue innovating and scaling its solutions to improve food safety and public health globally.

Leadership Team

Clear Labs' leadership team comprises experienced executives with diverse backgrounds in genomics, healthcare, finance, and engineering:

Sasan Amini

  • Co-Founder and CEO
  • PhD in Genomics from Princeton
  • Previously worked at Illumina's Advanced Research department
  • Holds multiple patents and publications in genomics

Ramin Khaksar

  • Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), and Chief Operating Officer (COO)
  • Experience in industry, government, and academia
  • Former CEO of Dapco, a biotech R&D company
  • Published over 80 papers in peer-reviewed journals

Edward Fan

  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Experience in healthcare investment banking at J.P. Morgan and Lazard
  • Held operating roles at Sanofi, Werfen, and Shire Pharmaceuticals
  • Provided consulting services to in vitro diagnostics companies

Henrik Gehrmann

  • Senior Vice President of Engineering
  • Over 20 years of experience in software applications
  • Expertise in cloud-based systems, data analytics, and UX design
  • Worked at several Silicon Valley startups focusing on Enterprise SaaS

Mostafa Ronaghi

  • Board Member
  • Scientist-entrepreneur with extensive genomics and biotechnology experience
  • Former Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President at Illumina
  • Co-founded several companies, including GRAIL, NextBio, and Avantome
  • PhD in Biotechnology from the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm

Wade Stevenson

  • Senior Vice President of Marketing
  • Over 25 years of experience in infectious diseases, molecular diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals
  • Previously SVP Marketing at BioFire Diagnostics

Scott O'Brien

  • Senior business leader with over 25 years of global life sciences and diagnostics industry experience
  • Experience in R&D, marketing, commercial, and C-suite roles
  • Provides commercial strategy consulting services to IVD companies This diverse and experienced leadership team drives Clear Labs' innovation in genomics, food safety, and diagnostics, leveraging their collective expertise to advance the company's mission.

History

Clear Labs, founded in 2014, has established itself as a leading provider of fully-automated next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms. Here's an overview of the company's key milestones and developments:

Founding and Early Years

  • Founded in 2014 by Sasan Amini and Mahni Ghorashi
  • Secured early funding rounds:
    • $6.5 million Series A (September 2015)
    • $16 million Series B (December 2016)
    • $21 million additional round (October 2018)

Major Milestones

  1. Launch of Fully-Automated Sequencing Platform: Revolutionized diagnostics with faster, more accurate, and efficient processes.
  2. Product Line Expansion: Developed solutions for food safety testing, clinical diagnostics, and detection of foodborne pathogens.
  3. COVID-19 Response:
    • Received FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test (September 2020)
    • Launched whole genome sequencing surveillance solution for SARS-CoV-2 (January 2021)

Achievements and Certifications

  • Achieved over 50% penetration in U.S. public health laboratories with SARS-CoV-2 product (March 2021)
  • Received certifications from:
    • International AOAC (December 2019)
    • National Poultry Improvement Plan (October 2021)

Recent Developments

  • Series D Financing: Secured $30 million in January 2025, led by a strategic investor
  • Board Addition: Kevin Keegan, Becton Dickinson's VP and Global Platform Leader, joined the Board of Directors

Current Status

  • Headquartered in San Carlos, California
  • Employs approximately 103 people
  • Total funding received: $100.5 million
  • Established as a leader in food safety, quality testing, and clinical diagnostics
  • Offers a turnkey NGS platform integrating DNA sequencing, robotics, and cloud-based bioinformatics Clear Labs continues to innovate and expand its operations globally, focusing on making complex genomics accessible and accurate for healthcare institutions.

Products & Solutions

Clear Labs, founded in 2014, specializes in advanced genomic sequencing and data analytics solutions for clinical diagnostics and food safety. Their key offerings include:

Clear Dx™ Microbial Surveillance WGS

This fully automated, end-to-end whole genome sequencing (WGS) solution for bacterial and fungal isolates features:

  • Automation: Reduces hands-on time to less than 45 minutes by automating the entire WGS process.
  • Efficiency: Delivers results in 24-27 hours, significantly faster than traditional methods.
  • Accuracy and Consistency: Eliminates human variability, ensuring reliable results.
  • Simplified Workflow: Requires only one human touch point, compared to numerous steps in manual methods.

Clinical and Public Health Applications

The Clear Dx™ system supports clinical and public health labs by:

  • Enabling near real-time outbreak identification and management
  • Meeting submission criteria for federally funded sequencing initiatives like CDC PulseNet and FDA GenomeTrakr

Data Integration and Analysis

The platform offers comprehensive data management and analysis capabilities:

  • Simplified sample registration and result analysis
  • Integrated software for genomic metadata analysis
  • Data integration and connectivity solutions to streamline genomic surveillance

Additional Capabilities

  • Cloud computing integration for enhanced efficiency and scalability
  • Support for both short-read and long-read sequencing technologies Clear Labs' solutions aim to revolutionize genomic and pathogen surveillance through rapid, accurate, and automated whole genome sequencing capabilities, making advanced genomics more accessible to a wider range of institutions.

Core Technology

Clear Labs' core technology integrates several key components to provide advanced, automated solutions in genomics and pathogen surveillance:

Fully Automated Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)

  • Platforms like Clear Dx™ Microbial Surveillance WGS automate the entire sequencing workflow
  • Includes automated liquid handling steps such as cDNA synthesis, target amplification, indexing, and nucleic acid clean-up

Integration of Robotics and Bioinformatics

  • Combines robotics, DNA sequencing, and cloud-based bioinformatics
  • Simplifies complex diagnostics and reduces the need for extensive bioinformatics expertise

Speed and Efficiency

  • Reduces hands-on time from 9 hours to less than 45 minutes
  • Cuts manual steps from 100 to just 1
  • Delivers results in 24-27 hours, compared to 4-10 days with traditional methods

Accuracy and Reproducibility

  • Automation minimizes workflow errors and increases result consistency
  • Particularly beneficial for foodborne pathogen characterization and healthcare-associated infection outbreak investigations

Comprehensive Data Analysis and Integration

  • Includes features for genomic metadata analysis, data integration, and connectivity solutions
  • Offers simplified sample registration and result analysis
  • Provides open API integration and access to sequencing files and quality metrics

Applications

  • Food safety: Enables deep molecular characterization of pathogens
  • Clinical settings: Supports rapid outbreak identification and management Clear Labs' technology aims to streamline genomic surveillance, enhance accuracy, and improve lab efficiencies while reducing costs and making advanced genomics more accessible to a broader range of institutions.

Industry Peers

Clear Labs operates in the food safety, quality testing, and clinical diagnostics industries, utilizing advanced genomics, data analytics, and automation. Key industry peers and competitors include:

Food Safety and Quality Testing

  • iFoodDS: Food safety and quality management solutions
  • Novolyze: Specializes in pathogen control, foreign body detection, and environmental monitoring
  • TraceGains: Compliance and quality management solutions for the food and beverage industry
  • Applied Data Corporation: Offers food safety and quality solutions
  • Produce Pro Software: Software solutions for the produce industry, including quality management

Clinical Diagnostics and Genomics

  • LexaGene: Genetic analyzers and molecular diagnostics solutions
  • Microbac: Laboratory testing services, including microbiology and molecular diagnostics
  • Hygiena: Rapid diagnostic tests for food safety and environmental monitoring
  • Genoox: Genomic analysis and interpretation solutions
  • Corvium: Food safety and quality through data analytics and microbiology

Automated Sequencing and Pathogen Surveillance

  • CMX: Competitor in the food safety and quality testing tech market
  • Greyscale AI: Another competitor in the same market These companies are involved in various aspects of food safety, quality testing, and clinical diagnostics, competing with Clear Labs in their respective fields. The industry is characterized by a focus on advanced technologies, automation, and data-driven solutions to improve safety, efficiency, and accuracy in food production and clinical settings.

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