Bionomous wins CHF 150,000 to bring automation to laboratories
20.11.2020
Bionomous combines innovative micro-engineering design and machine learning methods to develop devices that automatically screen, sort, and dispense miniature biological entities. The technology of the Lausanne-based startup focused on sorting zebrafish eggs, which is a common and growing model for studies in genetics, development and behavioral biology, and toxicology. Bionomous will use the 150,000 VK funding to develop its minimum viable product.
 Bionomous co-founders Dr. Frank Bonnet (CEO) and Ana Hernando Ariza (CMO)
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Over the past 10 years, zebrafish have been strongly growing in popularity as model organisms in research and industry environments, a global market estimated at over CHF 2 billion today. The main drawback of using zebrafish is that processing and preparing the eggs for research is complex, labor-intensive, and time-consuming. Up until now, no convenient methods have been developed to perform these tasks automatically.
Bionomous is closing this gap by bringing automation to laboratories: Bionomous develops a robotic device and AI solutions that allow researchers to automatically count, screen, sort, and dispense small biological entities, such as the eggs of zebrafish, offering researchers significant gains in time, precision, and standardization.
The startup was founded by Ana Hernando Ariza (CMO) and Dr. Frank Bonnet (CEO). The Bionomous team is collaborating with several laboratories to test the beta version and assess the market readiness level. The startup initially targets the customers active in toxicology, genetics, and non-clinical testing, a first market estimated at approximately CHF 200 million. It also plans to later extend the technology to other fields of research, such as the eggs of the Xenopus (genus of African frogs) or the seeds of the Arabidopsis Thaliana (thale cress).
Bionomous will use Venture Kick’s funding for financing the pilot device used by early adopters and for a marketing campaign to be ready to start commercializing its product in 2021.
“Venture Kick has already provided us with great support during this year to refine our go-to-market strategy and for the development of extensions of our product to meet our customers’ expectations. Venture Kick’s network has also allowed us to get in touch with experienced entrepreneurs and investors to construct a more solid business case with more realistic milestones,” said Bionomous CEO Dr. Frank Bonnet.
Bionomous is closing this gap by bringing automation to laboratories: Bionomous develops a robotic device and AI solutions that allow researchers to automatically count, screen, sort, and dispense small biological entities, such as the eggs of zebrafish, offering researchers significant gains in time, precision, and standardization.
The startup was founded by Ana Hernando Ariza (CMO) and Dr. Frank Bonnet (CEO). The Bionomous team is collaborating with several laboratories to test the beta version and assess the market readiness level. The startup initially targets the customers active in toxicology, genetics, and non-clinical testing, a first market estimated at approximately CHF 200 million. It also plans to later extend the technology to other fields of research, such as the eggs of the Xenopus (genus of African frogs) or the seeds of the Arabidopsis Thaliana (thale cress). Bionomous will use Venture Kick’s funding for financing the pilot device used by early adopters and for a marketing campaign to be ready to start commercializing its product in 2021.
“Venture Kick has already provided us with great support during this year to refine our go-to-market strategy and for the development of extensions of our product to meet our customers’ expectations. Venture Kick’s network has also allowed us to get in touch with experienced entrepreneurs and investors to construct a more solid business case with more realistic milestones,” said Bionomous CEO Dr. Frank Bonnet.