Genomika, a biotech startup hailing from Lithuania and situated in the Tech-Park Kaunas, has secured over €5 million in investmentThis financial support has been contributed by the European Union (EU), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (UK), signifying a significant leap forward in the realm of genetics. Genomika’s visionary prowess has propelled it to lead an international consortium. With the funding infusion, Genomika aims to propel the development of a groundbreaking DNA-based hard drive within three years, uniting diverse expertise from IT engineering to DNA nanotechnology in this audacious quest.
This infusion of funds holds profound significance not only for Genomika as a burgeoning Lithuanian startup but also for the broader scope of innovation within the European Innovation Council. The focus of this investment revolves around a cutting-edge research domain: the encoding of data within DNA molecules, effectively revolutionizing the landscape of data storage.
The EU, recognizing the pioneering nature of Genomika’s research endeavors and its potential to catalyze transformative change across diverse industries, has introduced Pathfinder, an astute investment initiative designed to foster the advancement of breakthrough technologies with far-reaching impacts. Leveraging Genomika’s remarkable track record, unwavering scientific excellence, and visionary aspirations, the company has emerged as a natural contender for funding. In this capacity, it is positioned to spearhead an international consortium, serving as a linchpin in propelling this innovative undertaking.
The allocated funds are earmarked for a multifaceted expansion plan. This encompasses the augmentation of Genomika’s laboratory infrastructure, acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment, attraction of top-tier talent, and the unfolding of novel scientific revelations. The overarching ambition of this project centers on the development of a tangible hard drive underpinned by the revolutionary concept of storing information within DNA molecules.
With an ambitious timeline set at three years, the endeavor aims to bridge the gap between theoretical potential and practical application. A conglomerate of interdisciplinary experts spanning fields such as IT engineering, data and IoT science, bioinformatics, robotics, DNA nanotechnology, sequencing, and gene synthesis, will converge to collectively propel the evolution of this transformative technology.
“Technologies that used to store information change every decade or so, as exemplified by storage technologies that need constant updating: cartridges have been replaced by disks, disks by USB sticks, and external hard drives and so on. These inventions become obsolete and need to be updated in order to preserve and be able to read information. DNA is therefore the repository of the future. This method can store large amounts of data in a compact container”, says Lukas Žemaitis, co-founder of Genomika.
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