GrandOmics

GrandOmics Biosciences Co., Ltd. operates as a specialized provider of third-generation gene sequencing and bioinformatics services, positioning itself at the intersection of genomic science and clinical medicine. Founded in Beijing in 2014 by Depeng Wang and Dr. Kai Wang, the company leverages the extensive experience of its founders in the genomics industry. CEO Depeng Wang, a Peking University graduate, has been involved in the commercial application of all three generations of sequencing technology, having previously founded Nextomics in Wuhan in 2011. Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Kai Wang is a distinguished expert in bioinformatics, known for developing widely used software tools for genomic analysis like ANNOVAR and PennCNV. His background in medical genetics at Columbia University and extensive publication record underscore the company's strong scientific foundation.

The firm's business model centers on providing comprehensive solutions for both research and clinical applications, operating through two primary brands: "Nextomics" for foundational research in areas like animal, plant, and microbial genomics, and "GrandOmics" for clinical diagnostics. The company generates revenue by offering a suite of services, including whole genome sequencing, full-length transcriptome sequencing, and epigenome analysis. Its target clients range from academic and research institutions to pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and diagnostic labs. A significant portion of its work is dedicated to advancing the diagnosis of genetic diseases, oncology, and microbial analysis through its specialized sequencing services.

GrandOmics distinguishes itself by focusing on third-generation sequencing (TGS) technologies, particularly those from Oxford Nanopore (ONT) and Pacific Biosciences (PacBio). This technology allows for ultra-long reads of DNA, which is crucial for accurately detecting large, complex structural variations in the genome that are often missed by older short-read sequencing methods. In July 2018, GrandOmics became the first certified service provider in China for Oxford Nanopore's high-throughput PromethION platform. The company has developed its own proprietary bioinformatics software, including the GrandBox private cloud platform, to manage and analyze the large datasets generated by sequencing. It has undertaken ambitious projects, such as the dbSV-100k initiative launched in 2019, which aims to sequence 100,000 human genomes to build a comprehensive structural variation database for clinical research.

The company's growth has been supported by several funding rounds, including a Series A in December 2016 and a Series B of nearly RMB 100 million in July 2018, led by investors such as Marathon Venture Partners, Matrix Partners China, and SAIF Partners. These funds have been allocated towards research and development, intellectual property acquisition, and expanding its impressive arsenal of sequencing hardware, which includes numerous ONT GridION and PromethION systems, as well as PacBio Sequel platforms.

Keywords: third-generation sequencing, nanopore sequencing, PacBio sequencing, bioinformatics, genomic medicine, structural variation, genetic disease diagnosis, clinical genomics, long-read sequencing, whole genome sequencing, transcriptome sequencing, precision medicine, oncology diagnostics, microbial genomics, DNA analysis, Nextomics, Depeng Wang, Kai Wang, PromethION service provider, Beijing biotechnology