GNA Biosolutions

About GNA Biosolutions

GNA Biosolutions GmbH operates as a molecular diagnostics company, originating as a spin-off from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, Germany, in 2010. The company was founded by Joachim Anton Stehr, Federico Francisco Bürsgens, and Lars Ullerich. In February 2021, the company was fully acquired by the Silicon Valley-based corporation Hewlett Packard (HP) and integrated into its operations, now known as HP Health Solutions Germany GmbH.

The core of GNA Biosolutions' business is the development and manufacturing of instruments, OEM modules, and assays for rapid molecular pathogen detection. The company serves a B2B market, with applications in medical diagnostics, biosecurity, food and water safety, and agriculture. Their business model focuses on manufacturing and providing these advanced diagnostic tools to various industries that require fast and accurate pathogen identification. Prior to its acquisition, the company had successfully raised a total of $20.2 million in funding over three rounds, with its Series C in August 2019 raising $13.5 million. This funding was intended to advance the development and secure IVD-CE marking for its first Point of Care molecular diagnostic platform.

GNA Biosolutions pioneered a proprietary nucleic acid amplification technology called Pulse Controlled Amplification (PCA). This technology represents a significant advancement over traditional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methods. PCA allows for the amplification of nucleic acids directly from complex samples like whole blood, sputum, and nasal swabs in minutes, eliminating the need for extensive sample preparation. The key feature of PCA is its use of laser-based, ultra-fast heating of nanoparticles to control the amplification process, which is considerably faster than the heating and cooling cycles of conventional PCR. This enables the creation of small, portable, and energy-efficient devices suitable for near-patient testing outside of a traditional laboratory setting. One of its first products, the Pharos400, featured this laser-based PCR technology. The technology's speed and efficiency were highlighted by its ability to deliver results in 15 minutes or less, a crucial factor in winning the AACC's "Disruptive Technology Award" in 2018.