What Alithea Genomics does

Alithea Genomics is a privately held Swiss biotechnology company, founded in 2020 as an EPFL spin-off and headquartered in Epalinges (Lausanne area), with a wholly-owned US subsidiary in Frederick, Maryland. The company develops and commercializes the MERCURIUS™ platform family of massively multiplexed RNA-sequencing library preparation technologies, comprising three core product lines — MERCURIUS™ DRUG-seq (extraction-free bulk RNA-seq directly from cells or spheroids in 96-, 384-, and 1536-well formats), MERCURIUS™ BRB-seq (multiplexed bulk RNA-seq for purified RNA across human, blood, and plant samples), and MERCURIUS™ FLASH-seq (plate-based, full-length single-cell RNA-seq). The platforms use early plate-based sample barcoding to pool up to 384 (and now 1,536) samples into a single library preparation tube, reducing plastic consumable use by up to 95% and enabling transcriptome-wide profiling at screening scale with detection of 12,000–15,000 genes per sample at shallow sequencing depths (0.7M–5M reads).

The company operates a dual revenue model selling kits (one-time product revenue) and corresponding sequencing services (outsourced processing) to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CRO, toxicology, agrochemical, cosmetics, and academic research customers. Named enterprise adopters include Roche, Bayer, Novo Nordisk, Johnson & Johnson, Syngenta, Axxam, the Broad Institute, Karolinska Institutet, Ludwig Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School, bit.bio, CNRS, the University of Pennsylvania, A*STAR, the University of Lausanne, and the Institute of Molecular Biology, alongside 100+ labs worldwide and 50+ publications powered by the technology. Distribution is hybrid: direct enterprise sales (led by co-founder and CCO Riccardo Dainese) layered with a June 2026 global distribution agreement with Revvity Inc. for DRUG-seq and Total DRUG-seq, plus regional distributors Dakewe (China) and Funakoshi (Japan).

Alithea is venture-backed, having raised approximately CHF 10.7M (~$11.5M) in cumulative disclosed funding across seed rounds in 2022, 2024, and 2026, with Genku Ventures, Novalis Biotech, Zürcher Kantonalbank, TechU Ventures, and the Swiss Technology Fund among its backers. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification, is a technology partner in the OASIS Consortium for Next Generation Risk Assessment led by HESI and the Broad Institute, and integrates its chemistries with SPT Labtech's firefly liquid handling platform. Leadership transitioned in March 2026 with Frederik Decouttere assuming the CEO role and Dainese moving to CCO to anchor the company's commercial expansion phase.

Name

Alithea Genomics

Legal name

Alithea Genomics SA

Website

https://alitheagenomics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alithea Genomics is a Swiss EPFL spin-off that develops MERCURIUS multiplexed RNA-sequencing library prep kits and services, serving pharmaceutical, biotech, CRO, toxicology, agrochemical, and academic research customers with screening-scale transcriptome profiling at reduced cost and hands-on time.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Genomics Research Tools

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Transcriptomics & Gene Expression Profiling Services (HLAGANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bioinformatics & Multi-omics Analysis Software (HLAGAJAD), Molecular Biology & Genomics Instruments (PCR/qPCR, Sequencing, Microarrays) (HLAGAIAF), Bioinformatics, Multi-Omics Data Analysis & Interpretation Services (HLAGANAI)

Keywords

• RNA sequencing kits
• Transcriptomics services
• Library preparation kits
• Single-cell RNA sequencing
• Drug discovery screening

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. RNA-seq Kits Sales: Alithea Genomics sells its MERCURIUS™ kit portfolio (DRUG-seq, BRB-seq, FLASH-seq, and variants) directly to pharmaceutical, biotech, CRO, academic, and agritech/cosmetics customers. Kits are sold in multiple formats (96-well, 384-well, 1536-well) targeting cell lysate, purified RNA, spheroid, blood, and single-cell inputs. The company also sells accessories (UDI expansion modules, lysis modules) as add-on products.
2. RNA-seq Services: Alithea Genomics provides transcriptomics services using its MERCURIUS™ technology platforms, enabling customers who prefer outsourced processing to access DRUG-seq, BRB-seq, FLASH-seq, and related services without purchasing kits. Services are offered for the same sample types covered by the kit portfolio.
3. Proprietary Transcriptomic Data Assets: The company plans to build proprietary transcriptomic data assets for AI/ML initiatives, suggesting a potential future data monetization stream. The company has profiled over 1 million full transcriptomes and has access to large-scale compound-response datasets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Alithea Genomics develops and commercializes the proprietary MERCURIUS™ platform of RNA sequencing kits and matched services for high-throughput, screening-scale transcriptomics. Its products use early plate-based sample barcoding and massively multiplexed library preparation (pooling up to 384, or up to 1,536, samples per tube) combined with extraction-free workflows to deliver 3′ mRNA, full-length, total RNA, and single-cell readouts for pharmaceutical, biotech, CRO, agritech, cosmetics, and academic customers.

Product overview

Alithea Genomics offers a modular platform of RNA sequencing products organized around three core technology families: MERCURIUS DRUG-seq (extraction-free workflows for cells and spheroids), MERCURIUS BRB-seq (for purified RNA samples), and MERCURIUS FLASH-seq (for single-cell and low-input applications). Each technology family includes multiple kit variants differentiated by RNA coverage (3′ mRNA-seq vs. full-length/total RNA-seq), sample type compatibility, and throughput level. The DRUG-seq family encompasses standard 384-well kits, Total DRUG-seq (full-length), Spheroid DRUG-seq (for 3D models), and 1536 DRUG-seq (ultra-high-throughput). The BRB-seq family includes standard, Total, Full-Length, Low-Input FLASH, High-Sensitivity, Plant, and Blood variants. FLASH-seq covers single-cell and low-input applications. Corresponding service offerings mirror all kit products, enabling customers to access the technology via outsourced sequencing services. The company also provides ISO 9001:2015 certified products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MERCURIUS: Proprietary technology platform family including DRUG-seq, BRB-seq, and FLASH-seq for scalable RNA sequencing solutions.
• MERCURIUS 1536 DRUG-seq
• MERCURIUS FLASH-seq
• MERCURIUS Total DRUG-seq
• MERCURIUS Spheroid DRUG-seq
• MERCURIUS BRB-seq
• MERCURIUS DRUG-seq

Products and services

• MERCURIUS™ DRUG-seq Kit Extraction-free 3′ mRNA library preparation kit that performs bulk RNA-seq directly on cells in 96- or 384-well plates without RNA isolation, enabling high-throughput compound screening and drug discovery transcriptomics.
• MERCURIUS™ Total DRUG-seq Kit Extraction-free total RNA-seq kit providing full-length transcriptome coverage including lncRNAs and non-coding RNAs for large-scale compound screens, toxicology studies, and target validation in 96- and 384-well formats.
• MERCURIUS™ Spheroid DRUG-seq Kit Extraction-free RNA-seq kit for 3D spheroid and organoid models with optimized lysis buffer, enabling high-throughput transcriptomic profiling in physiologically relevant drug screening and toxicity models.
• MERCURIUS™ 1536 DRUG-seq Kit Ultra-high-throughput 3′ mRNA-seq kit enabling transcriptome-wide profiling directly from 1536-well assay plates for screening-scale compound-response data and AI-ready perturbation datasets.
• MERCURIUS™ BRB-seq Kit Massively multiplexed 3′ bulk RNA-seq kit for purified RNA from eukaryotic cells, designed for large cohorts and multi-condition gene expression studies with early sample barcoding.
• MERCURIUS™ Total BRB-seq Kit Total RNA BRB-seq kit capturing coding and non-coding transcripts for scalable whole-transcriptome profiling from purified RNA samples.
• MERCURIUS™ Full-Length BRB-seq Kit Multiplexed full-length mRNA-seq kit for purified RNA enabling splicing, isoform, and expression analysis across many samples.
• MERCURIUS™ Low-Input FLASH-seq Kit Ultra-sensitive full-length RNA-seq kit for low-input RNA samples ranging from picogram to nanogram amounts.
• MERCURIUS™ High-Sensitivity BRB-seq Kit High-sensitivity BRB-seq kit for transcriptomics projects with limited input RNA starting from 100 pg per sample.
• MERCURIUS™ Total Blood BRB-seq Kit Total RNA BRB-seq kit for scalable total RNA-seq from purified blood RNA, enabling maximum detection of coding and non-coding transcripts for industrial and academic clients.
• MERCURIUS™ Plant BRB-seq Kit BRB-seq kit tailored for plant RNA samples, enabling scalable multiplexed RNA sequencing for plant research applications.
• MERCURIUS™ FLASH-seq (Single-Cell) Kit Plate-based full-length single-cell RNA-seq kit delivering ultra-sensitive detection of rare cells with automation-friendly workflows, capturing up to 2x more genes than competing single-cell solutions.
• DRUG-seq Service Fee-for-service extraction-free RNA-seq using MERCURIUS DRUG-seq chemistry for adherent and suspension cell lines, targeting screening, mechanism-of-action studies, and toxicity profiling at scale.
• Total DRUG-seq Service Fee-for-service extraction-free total RNA-seq using MERCURIUS Total DRUG-seq for large-scale compound and toxicology screens requiring whole-transcriptome readouts.
• Single-Cell FLASH-seq Service Fee-for-service plate-based full-length single-cell RNA-seq using MERCURIUS FLASH-seq for sorted or rare cells, delivering ultra-sensitive transcriptomes.
• Spheroid DRUG-seq Service Fee-for-service extraction-free RNA-seq for 3D spheroid models capturing complex biology, mechanisms, and toxicity responses in physiologically relevant models.
• BRB-seq Service Fee-for-service multiplexed bulk RNA-seq for purified RNA, ideal for cohorts, time-courses, and large gene expression profiling projects.
• Total BRB-seq Service Fee-for-service total RNA BRB-seq capturing coding and non-coding transcripts for scalable whole-transcriptome studies on purified RNA samples.
• Full-Length BRB-seq Service Fee-for-service full-length mRNA BRB-seq for isoform, splicing, and expression analyses across many purified RNA samples.
• Low-Input FLASH-seq Service Fee-for-service full-length RNA-seq for scarce or precious low-input RNA providing high sensitivity from picogram to nanogram inputs.
• High-Sensitivity BRB-seq Service Fee-for-service high-sensitivity BRB-seq for transcriptomics projects with limited input RNA starting from 100 pg per sample.
• Total Blood BRB-seq Service Fee-for-service total RNA-seq from purified blood RNA for maximum detection of coding and non-coding transcripts.
• Plant BRB-seq Service Fee-for-service BRB-seq tailored for plant RNA samples, enabling scalable multiplexed RNA sequencing for plant research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 384 samples pooled and processed in a single tube, reducing plastic consumable use by up to 95%
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / strategic, core / strategic and minor.

• Revvity Inc.flagship / strategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 June 2026Revvity Inc. serves as the global commercial distributor for MERCURIUS™ DRUG-seq and MERCURIUS™ Total DRUG-seq solutions. The distribution agreement leverages Revvity's comprehensive drug discovery and screening portfolio and global commercial network to broaden access to Alithea's transcriptomics technologies. The collaboration enables researchers to integrate transcriptomic profiling into Revvity's large-scale phenotypic and functional genomics workflows. Revvity had 2025 revenue of $2.9B with ~11,000 employees serving customers in 160+ countries.
• SPT Labtechcore / strategicTechnology or Integration · 5 November 2025SPT Labtech and Alithea Genomics announced a collaboration to develop automation solutions for single-cell transcriptomics. The partnership integrates Alithea's MERCURIUS™ FLASH-seq and MERCURIUS™ Total DRUG-seq technologies with SPT Labtech's firefly® liquid handling platform for automated, scalable, and reproducible RNA-seq workflows. The companies released joint application notes and hosted a co-marketing webinar on November 10, 2025. This addresses the key bottleneck of manual library preparation in single-cell transcriptomics, improving reproducibility, throughput, and accessibility.
• PamGene InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2023PamGene International is a partner in the MAINLINE consortium with Alithea Genomics and Lausanne University Hospital, awarded a €1M Eurostars grant to develop a pan-cancer blood test for predicting immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy response. The project combines transcriptomics (Alithea's technology) and kinomic profiling (PamGene's technology) to create a multi-omics biomarker model validated in clinical settings.
• Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2023Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) is a partner in the MAINLINE consortium with Alithea Genomics and PamGene International, awarded a €1M Eurostars grant. CHUV contributes clinical expertise and validation capabilities for the pan-cancer blood test project, combining transcriptomic and kinomic biomarker profiles to predict ICI therapy response across multiple cancers.
• Arctoriscore / strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerArctoris partnered with Alithea Genomics for the 1536 DRUG-seq early access launch webinar (June 24, 2026). Arctoris contributes its Ulysses® automated platform for fully automated experimental execution in 1536-well format, including cell preparation, compound treatment, incubation, and sample preparation. The partnership demonstrates how automated workflows enable reproducible 1536-well transcriptomic screening and bridges technical feasibility with practical drug discovery application.
• OASIS Consortium (Health and Environmental Sciences Institute / The Broad Institute)core / strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlithea Genomics is a technology partner in the OASIS Consortium (Omics for Assessing Signatures for Integrated Safety), a global initiative launched in 2023 led by HESI Global and The Broad Institute with 60+ global partners. The consortium evaluates multi-omics technologies including transcriptomics, proteomics, and Cell Painting for predictive chemical safety assessment. Alithea provides MERCURIUS™ DRUG-seq as the transcriptomic technology platform. The consortium aims to build confidence in Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) frameworks and reduce reliance on animal testing.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lexogen: Lexogen offers a portfolio of RNA-seq library prep kits (QuantSeq, CORALL, SIRV spike-ins) targeting similar pharma/biotech and academic customers. It is the closest direct competitor in terms of product category (RNA-seq kits) and customer base (transcriptomics researchers).
• 10x Genomics: 10x Genomics' Chromium single-cell RNA-seq platform competes directly with Alithea's FLASH-seq offering and serves overlapping pharma/biotech and academic customers. Both companies target the high-throughput transcriptomics market with differentiated single-cell workflows.
• Parse Biosciences: Parse Biosciences offers Evercode single-cell RNA-seq kits that compete with FLASH-seq for fixed-cell and high-throughput single-cell applications. Both target pharma/biotech and academic researchers needing scalable, plate-based scRNA-seq.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad's ddSEQ single-cell RNA-seq and Droplet Digital PCR products overlap with Alithea's FLASH-seq and BRB-seq offerings. Both serve drug discovery and translational research customers with high-throughput molecular biology tools.

Emerging players

• Fluent BioSciences: Fluent BioSciences offers PIPseq single-cell RNA-seq technology targeting similar translational and pharma customers. It is a smaller emerging competitor in the plate-based single-cell space where Alithea's FLASH-seq also competes.
• Element Biosciences: Element Biosciences' AVITI sequencer is compatible with Alithea's MERCURIUS kits and competes in the broader NGS ecosystem. While Element focuses on sequencing instruments rather than library prep, the two companies share an emerging-player positioning around democratizing NGS for pharma and academic customers.

Broad incumbents

• Illumina: Illumina dominates the sequencing-instrument market and also sells its own library prep and bulk RNA-seq reagents (e.g., TruSeq, Illumina Stranded mRNA). Alithea's kits are compatible with Illumina sequencers but compete with Illumina's reagent catalog for the same pharma/biotech budget.
• New England Biolabs: NEB offers a broad portfolio of RNA-seq library prep reagents (NEBNext) that compete with MERCURIUS kits across academic and translational customers. As a large, established enzyme/reagent vendor, NEB represents a broad incumbent alternative.
• Takara Bio: Takara Bio provides NGS library prep kits (SMARTer, ThruPLEX) and single-cell reagents overlapping with Alithea's BRB-seq and FLASH-seq offerings. As a diversified Japanese life sciences tools provider, it is a comparable broad incumbent.
• Revvity: Revvity is Alithea's global distribution partner and a major life sciences tools player (formerly PerkinElmer) serving pharma, biotech, and diagnostics customers. While now a commercial partner, Revvity also offers overlapping drug-discovery and screening products in adjacent categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AlitheaGenomics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alitheagenomics
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlitheaGenomics

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alithea Genomics