You are here

  • Home
  • News
  • Invitae (US) acquires genomics start-up Diploid (Flanders)

Invitae (US) acquires genomics start-up Diploid (Flanders)

Diploid – a start-up from Leuven (Flanders) that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect rare genetic diseases very quickly – has been acquired by US-based medical genetics company Invitae. The American company has paid EUR 84 million to acquire this promising new kid in Flanders’ medtech scene.  

Genome data
Getty Images

Groundbreaking AI-based software

The start-up from Leuven has developed the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-based software, called Moon, for the diagnosis of rare diseases. It is capable of detecting genetic disorders in just a few minutes using next-generation sequencing data and patient information.  

Rare genetic diseases account for some 15% of admissions to children’s hospitals. Such diagnoses are made by experts but can now be automated with Moon. This leads to faster results. In 2018, Diploid won a prestigious award for this analysis at the annual Bio-IT World congress in Boston, US. 

Expanding to help more people

“Moon is powerful and ease to use. From a pilot study in which the algorithm evaluated data on existing cases, the software was found to achieve 94% accuracy,” says Sean George, Invitae’s co-founder and CEO.  

The acquisition is an important step in Diploid's growth process.  

“With Invitae, we are joining like-minded scientists in creating a world-class genetic interpretation framework at scale,” asserts Peter Schols, CEO of Diploid. “By bringing these technologies together, we can help more patients benefit from in-depth genetic sequencing to move from searching for answers to getting a diagnosis and discussing treatment options.” 

More info

InvitaeDiploid
Reported by
Newspaper De Tijd
22 June 2020

More news about Flanders?

  • Regular updates
  • No spam

Interested in doing business in Flanders?

Let us help you!

  • We can introduce you to other companies, banks and regulators
  • We organize site visits to real estate locations
  • We assist with all legal aspects of setting up a business
  • We're an official government agency
  • Our services are completely free
  • We are a team of international experts

Receive our handbook to growing your business in Flanders

  • It's completely free.
  • Get an overview of all incentives relevant to your company.
  • Tax system explained in-depth.
  • Learn how to set up your business quickly.
  • Discover the benefits of Flanders (in addition to the chocolate).

In addition to the ebook, I agree to receive one or two follow-up emails