RURO

Founded in 2006, RURO Inc. carved a niche for itself in the life sciences sector by providing specialized software solutions for laboratories. The company was established by Vlad Lebedev and Maxim Didenko. Mr. Lebedev, the former CEO, leveraged his experience from the National Institutes of Health and Invitrogen to steer RURO's vision. Mr. Didenko, with over 25 years in software engineering, including senior roles at Scaleform and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), provided the technical foundation for the company's systems. Located in Frederick, Maryland, within the state's biotechnology corridor, the company developed software for a global client base spanning research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and healthcare sectors.

RURO's business revolves around creating, licensing, and supporting cloud-based software that manages laboratory workflows and biological sample data. This includes providing software hosting, deployment, validation, and training. The company's revenue model is based on these comprehensive service offerings. Its clientele includes prominent organizations like MD Anderson, Amgen, Exact Sciences, and the NIH. The primary product suite is built on the Limfinity® platform, a flexible foundation that can be adapted to specific laboratory needs, allowing clients to configure workflows and reports. Key offerings include Limfinity® LIS (Laboratory Information System), as well as specialized solutions for Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), and RFID inventory tracking. One of its early flagship products was FreezerPro®, a software for managing frozen samples, which played a significant role in establishing RURO's market presence. The FreezerPro system is designed to handle large volumes of inventory and features capabilities like RFID integration for automated sample tracking.

A significant milestone in RURO's history occurred in February 2020 when it was acquired by Brooks Automation (now operating as Azenta Life Sciences) for a cash price of $15 million. At the time of the acquisition, RURO had generated approximately $5 million in revenue in the preceding year. The acquisition was a strategic move by Brooks to enhance its management of biological sample inventories by integrating RURO's informatics capabilities. Following the acquisition, RURO's management was aligned under the Brooks Life Sciences business. Tom Dolan, who had served in various leadership roles including Director of Sales, COO, and CEO since 2013, was instrumental in the company's growth, including its transition to cloud services and achieving ISO 9001 certification.

Keywords: laboratory informatics, sample management software, LIMS, life sciences software, bio-sample data management, laboratory workflow solutions, FreezerPro, Limfinity, biotech software, pharmaceutical software, RFID sample tracking, lab automation, clinical diagnostics software, Brooks Automation, Azenta Life Sciences, Vlad Lebedev, Maxim Didenko, laboratory information bliss, NGS software, translational science software