Geneformics

Geneformics operated in the field of genomic data management, focusing on the critical challenge of data storage and transfer. Founded in 2014 by Arik Keshet and Shabtai Shoval, the Israel-based company developed IT infrastructure solutions to address the explosive growth of information generated by Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). The firm's core business revolved around a specialized, lossless data compression technology designed specifically for genomic data, which could reduce storage needs by as much as 90%. This enabled clients in precision medicine, genomics-based research, and bio-informatics to manage and share vast datasets more efficiently, both on-premises and in the cloud.

The company's product suite included solutions like Geneformics S, a compressed file server, and Geneformics D, a distributed cloud compression service initially available for Amazon Web Services (AWS). These products were engineered to work transparently within existing bioinformatic pipelines, serving files in their native formats like FASTQ and BAM with on-the-fly decompression, thus minimizing disruption to established workflows. The technology, co-developed with the Weizmann Institute of Science, was designed to be enterprise-grade, providing a scalable Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) for genomics cloud installations. Geneformics targeted a B2B and B2G client base, including higher education, government bodies, healthcare providers, and biotechnology firms.

Geneformics secured seed funding in two rounds, starting in September 2014, from investors including CE Ventures and Radiant Venture Capital. Despite its developments and product releases, the company ceased operations, with public records indicating it was out of business by May 2018. Prior to its closure, the company had established offices in Petah Tikva, Israel, and Sunnyvale, California.

Keywords: genomic data compression, NGS data storage, bioinformatics, precision medicine IT, lossless compression, FASTQ compression, BAM compression, Weizmann Institute of Science, Arik Keshet, Shabtai Shoval, cloud genomics, genomic data transfer, health tech, life sciences IT, data management, enterprise-grade IaaS, bio-informatics infrastructure, genomic file serving, distributed cloud compression, archival solutions