Company:Clear Labs

From HandWiki
Clear Labs, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryClinical and applied markets
Founded2014
FoundersSasan Amini
Headquarters
San Carlos, California
,
Area served
Global
Key people
Sasan Amini, CEO and Co-founder
ProductsFully automated genomics testing
Number of employees
50+
Websitewww.clearlabs.com

Clear Labs, Inc. is a private genomics testing company headquartered in San Carlos, California, United States. It offers a fully automated, next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform for turnkey diagnostics, including SARS-CoV-2 genomic characterization and detection of foodborne pathogens such as listeria and salmonella.[1] It can also verify a food's ingredients, its GMO status, or conduct other tests.[2]

Clear Labs was co-founded by Sasan Amini in 2014,[3] who left his job at a genomics company to start Clear Labs.[4] The company acquired $6.5 million in series A financing in September 2015.[3] In December 2016, the company closed a $16 million Series B funding round.[5] This was followed by another $21 million round in October 2018.[6]

Clear Labs was granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US FDA in September 2020 for its SARS-CoV-2 descriptive diagnostic test.[7] Clear Labs launched in January 2021 a groundbreaking solution for whole genome sequencing surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and its mutations.[8] Clear Labs announced in March 2021 that the company had reached a critical milestone of over 50% public health laboratory penetration with its whole genome sequencing SARS-CoV-2 product,[9][10] including laboratories such as Nebraska,[11][12][13] Nevada,[14][15] New York,[16] California[17] and Kansas,[18] among others. Clear Labs Raised a $60M Series C round led by Morgan Stanley and T. Rowe Price in May 2021.[19]

Clear Labs has also received governmental and professional certification for its food safety next generation sequencing platform, including from the International AOAC[20] in December 2019 and the National Poultry Improvement Plan in October 2021.[21]

Notes

References

  1. Schug, Debra (15 March 2017). "Evolving pathogen testing methods offer better, faster alternatives". https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/96567-evolving-pathogen-testing-methods-offer-better-faster-alternatives. Retrieved 5 January 2018. 
  2. Ossola, Alexandra (17 September 2015). "A Genetic Database Will Identify What's Really In Our Food". Popular Science. http://www.popsci.com/startup-uses-genetics-to-identify-whats-really-in-our-food. Retrieved 12 October 2016. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Buhr, Sarah (15 September 2015). "Clear Labs Aims To Be Google Search For GMOs In Packaged Food". AOL inc. https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/15/clear-labs-aims-to-be-google-search-for-gmos-in-our-packaged-food/. Retrieved 15 October 2016. 
  4. Grant, Rebecca (23 October 2015). "The Company That Wants to Test Your Hot Dog's DNA". https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2015/10/food-fraud-dna-testing-startup/412168/. Retrieved 5 January 2018. 
  5. Buhr, Sarah (13 December 2016). "Google Ventures-backed Clear Labs gets $13 million in Series B to nip food recalls in the bud". AOL inc. https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/13/google-ventures-backed-clear-labs-gets-13-million-in-series-b-to-nip-food-recalls-in-the-bud/. Retrieved 13 December 2016. 
  6. "Clear Labs closes $21M funding round to advance food safety solutions" (in en-US). https://www.fooddive.com/news/clear-labs-closes-21m-funding-round-to-advance-food-safety-solutions/540878/. 
  7. "Clear Labs Granted EUA by FDA for SARS-CoV-2 Novel Descriptive Diagnostic". https://www.prweb.com/releases/clear_labs_granted_eua_by_fda_for_sars_cov_2_novel_descriptive_diagnostic/prweb17421553.htm. 
  8. "Clear Labs Launches Groundbreaking Solution for Enhanced Screening and Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and its Mutations". https://www.prweb.com/releases/clear_labs_launches_groundbreaking_solution_for_enhanced_screening_and_genomic_surveillance_of_sars_cov_2_and_its_mutations/prweb17680417.htm. 
  9. "Clear Labs' Real-Time Technology Solution Supports Half of U.S. Public Health Labs in Identifying SARS-CoV-2 Variants". https://www.prweb.com/releases/clear_labs_real_time_technology_solution_supports_half_of_u_s_public_health_labs_in_identifying_sars_cov_2_variants/prweb18526507.htm. 
  10. "Clear Labs Develops SARS-CoV-2 Variant Monitoring Engine Using Rapid Sequencing Workflow" (in en). 2021-07-02. https://www.genomeweb.com/sequencing/clear-labs-develops-sars-cov-2-variant-monitoring-engine-using-rapid-sequencing-workflow. 
  11. Anderson, Julie. "Nebraska lab uses new gene sequencer to look for COVID-19 mutations" (in en). https://omaha.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/nebraska-lab-uses-new-gene-sequencer-to-look-for-covid-19-mutations/article_fc1d4cb2-72f0-11eb-bec3-2f69b501d54a.html. 
  12. Simpson, Kalani (2021-02-18). "UNMC uses new technology to discover SARS-CoV-2 mutations in state". https://www.unmc.edu/news.cfm?match=26946. 
  13. Smith, Mitch (2021-12-04). "At a sequencing lab in Nebraska, tracking Omicron to help gauge its spread." (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/04/us/at-a-sequencing-lab-in-nebraska-tracking-omicron-to-help-gauge-its-spread.html. 
  14. Gorzalski, Andrew J.; Boyles, Christina; Sepcic, Victoria; Verma, Subhash; Sevinsky, Joel; Libuit, Kevin; Van Hooser, Stephanie; Pandori, Mark W. (2022-06-22). "Rapid Repeat Infection of SARS-CoV-2 By Two Highly Distinct Delta-lineage Viruses" (in en). Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease 104 (1): 115747. doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2022.115747. ISSN 0732-8893. PMID 35843112. 
  15. "Nevada State Public Health Laboratory detects new COVID-19 strain B.1.1.7 in Nevada" (in en-us). https://med.unr.edu/news/archive/2021/b117. 
  16. Pereira, Sydney (2021-03-31). "How Coronavirus Variants Are Tracked: A Tour Inside NYC's Genome Labs" (in en). https://gothamist.com/. 
  17. "New county tool touted as game changer in fight against COVID-19" (in en-US). 2021-07-14. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/sonoma-county-gets-new-tool-to-quickly-detect-covid-19-mutations/. 
  18. Bahl, Andrew. "COVID-19 variants are taking hold nationally. How prepared is Kansas to cope?" (in en-US). https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/coronavirus/2021/04/15/kansas-health-officials-ramp-up-fight-against-covid-19-variants/7089024002/. 
  19. "Food safety tester Clear Labs raises $60M to chase COVID-19 variants" (in en). https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/food-safety-tester-clear-labs-raises-60m-to-chase-covid-19-variants. 
  20. "AOAC Certification". December 2, 2019. https://37py66300vjp36bhqv2g0wwk-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/19C_111802_ClearLabCS.pdf. 
  21. "Clear Labs Automated NGS Technology Platform (Clear Safety™) Approved by USDA's National Poultry Improvement Plan for Salmonella Detection". https://www.prweb.com/releases/clear_labs_automated_ngs_technology_platform_clear_safety_approved_by_usdas_national_poultry_improvement_plan_for_salmonella_detection/prweb18259389.htm. 

External links