Saphetor
Saphetor is a Swiss precision medicine company that builds the AI-enhanced VarSome platform for genomic variant interpretation, serving clinical laboratories, hospitals, pharmaceutical organizations, and researchers across more than 150 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLausanne, Switzerland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Saphetor does
Saphetor S.A. is a privately held Swiss precision medicine company founded in 2014 and headquartered at the EPFL Innovation Park in Lausanne, with regional offices in Boston and Athens and a distributed team across more than ten countries. The company builds the VarSome platform, an AI-enhanced genomic data analysis system that performs variant calling, annotation, classification, visualization, and report generation on next-generation sequencing (NGS) data from whole genomes, exomes, and gene panels. VarSome integrates evidence from 140+ curated data sources (ClinVar, gnomAD, COSMIC, CKB, CIViC, OncoKB, among others) and applies machine learning and natural language processing to structure literature evidence and support phenotype-driven prioritization aligned with ACMG/AMP guidelines.
The product portfolio is organized as a freemium platform-plus-modules architecture. VarSome.com is a freely accessible community and search engine used by 500K+ professionals in 150+ countries, serving as the top-of-funnel acquisition engine and a network-effects asset. Paid tiers include VarSome Premium (individual variant lookups for researchers), VarSome Clinical (CE-IVDR Class C certified and HIPAA-compliant platform for clinical diagnostic labs with on-premises deployment), VarSome API (pipeline integration for bioinformatics groups), and VarSome Insights (real-world clinician search data for pharma feasibility, trial site selection, and patient recruitment). Solution areas span Germline (rare disease diagnostics), Oncology (somatic variant interpretation, biomarker assessment, therapy selection), and Life Sciences (pharma R&D support). The company monetizes via annual subscriptions with quote-driven enterprise pricing; distribution combines direct enterprise sales, regional channel partners (Sciencewerke in SEA, LongSeq in Spain), and an implementation partnership with Platomics for IVDR compliance in the EU.
Saphetor serves clinical laboratories, hospitals and cancer centers, pharmaceutical and biotech organizations, and academic researchers across North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Named customers include Gencell Pharma (Latin America), PTC Therapeutics (rare disease awareness), SAOL Therapeutics (clinical trial enrollment), and the Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS (liquid biopsy research). The company has accumulated a broad certification stack (CE-IVDR Class C, ISO 13485, ISO 27001:2022, IEC 62304, HDS, GDPR, HIPAA) and is a member of GA4GH, with citations in 5,000-6,000 scientific papers supporting its domain authority. Disclosed funding totals approximately $6.6M across five rounds since 2015, with the most recent ($4.2M) in March 2020.
Saphetor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Saphetor
- Legal name
- Saphetor S.A.
- Website
- https://saphetor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Saphetor is a Swiss precision medicine company that builds the AI-enhanced VarSome platform for genomic variant interpretation, serving clinical laboratories, hospitals, pharmaceutical organizations, and researchers across more than 150 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Saphetor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clinical Genomics Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Genomics & Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Services (HLAGANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Genomics & Molecular Diagnostics (Trial Support) (HLAGAEAD), DTx/SaMD Evidence, Outcomes & Real-World Data (RWE) Platforms (HLACANAM)
Keywords
Where Saphetor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lausanne
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Saphetor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- VarSome Subscription Tiers: VarSome Professional is a subscription service with premium data resources and features. VarSome Premium and VarSome Clinical are professional editions with sophisticated data-mining and analysis tools. VarSome API provides cloud-based or on-premises installations for bioinformatics groups.
- VarSome.com Free Tier: VarSome.com professional community and search engine is freely accessible with community-driven knowledge base. Generates network effects and drives premium tier conversions.
- Enterprise Licensing: VarSome Clinical is offered as IVDR-certified and HIPAA-compliant fully-fledged platform, with on-premises installation options for organizations with restrictive data regulations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | VarSome.com - Free community access |
| Subscription | Annual | VarSome Professional - Full suite variant interpretation tools |
| Subscription | Annual | VarSome Premium - Individual gene or variant lookups |
| Subscription | Annual | VarSome Clinical - CE-IVD certified clinical platform |
| Subscription | Annual | VarSome API - Pipeline integration |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Saphetor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Saphetor develops and sells the VarSome suite, an AI-enhanced genomic data analysis platform that performs variant calling, annotation, classification, visualization, and report generation for next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. The suite includes a freely accessible community platform (VarSome.com), professional subscription tiers (VarSome Premium, VarSome Clinical), an integration API (VarSome API), and a real-world search data product (VarSome Insights) for pharmaceutical and biotech customers.
Product overview
Saphetor's VarSome Suite is a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on the VarSome platform for genomic variant interpretation. The core platform (VarSome.com) provides a freely accessible community-driven knowledge base, while professional tiers include VarSome Premium (subscription for individual lookups), VarSome Clinical (CE-IVD certified clinical platform), VarSome API (pipeline integration), and VarSome Insights (real-world search data for pharma). The platform is organized into three solution areas: Germline (hereditary variants), Oncology (tumor sequencing), and Life Sciences (pharmaceutical R&D). The platform integrates 140+ curated data sources and supports both short-read (Illumina, BGI) and long-read (Oxford Nanopore) sequencing data.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VarSome: Comprehensive platform for genomic variant interpretation and analysis, including VarSome Community, VarSome Premium, VarSome Clinical, VarSome API, and VarSome Insights
- VarSome Clinical
- VarSome Premium
- VarSome API
- VarSome Insights
Products and services
- VarSome.com Freely accessible community-driven variant search engine and knowledge base for professional human genetics, enabling flexible queries across genetic and genomic data resources for researchers and clinicians.
- VarSome Premium Professional subscription service providing premium data resources and features for researchers needing individual gene or variant lookups, biomarker discovery, and exploratory analyses integrated with curated genomic databases.
- VarSome Clinical CE-IVD certified and HIPAA-compliant clinical platform for variant discovery, annotation, and interpretation of NGS data from whole genomes, exomes, and gene panels, enabling fast and accurate diagnostic decisions for laboratories and hospitals.
- VarSome API API product enabling bioinformatics groups to integrate the VarSome database and classifiers into existing in-house pipelines via cloud-based or on-premises installations, allowing teams to focus on analysis rather than database management.
- VarSome Insights Real-world clinician search data platform supporting feasibility studies, clinical trial site identification, patient recruitment, and post-marketing awareness for pharmaceutical and biotech organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Tumor fraction (TF) dynamics can anticipate clinical outcomes early in treatment using combined sWGS and targeted NGS with VarSome Premium
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Saphetor
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Saphetor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature5 records
Saphetor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SciencewerkecoreSciencewerke appointed as official distributor for VarSome in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Sciencewerke is a leading provider of biomedical and life science solutions operating in Southeast Asia, committed to supporting cutting-edge research and diagnostics with products in Cellomics, Genomics, Proteomics, and Bio-imaging.
- LongSeqcoreSaphetor and LongSeq partner to expand access to advanced long-read sequencing diagnostics in Spain. LongSeq is a Spanish biotechnology company specialized in advanced long-read DNA sequencing using Oxford Nanopore Technologies, offering HEREDITARY-CANCER-Seq test for comprehensive variant detection including structural and epigenetic variants.
- PlatomicscoreSaphetor and Platomics team up to offer selected EU clinical labs an efficient regulatory platform for documenting and validating in-house NGS tests in compliance with IVDR. The PlatoX platform provides structured files, integrated guidance, and rules-based automation for IVDR documentation requirements.
- Gencell PharmacoreGencell Pharma, a leading genomics company in Latin America providing advanced sequencing and molecular diagnostics. Partnership helps Gencell expand capacity, improve quality, and deliver reliable results to patients and clinicians across the region. VarSome supports accuracy in variant interpretation, increases speed in data processing, and strengthens collaboration.
- PTC TherapeuticsminorCollaboration leveraging Saphetor's innovative approach to bring together the global genomics community to build awareness in rare disease programs.
- SAOL TherapeuticsminorPartnership enabled SAOL Therapeutics to reach out to clinicians in relevant regions and accelerate clinical trial enrollment, facilitating connections with potential participants based on variant-search activity through VarSome Insights.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Saphetor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sophia Genetics: AI-driven clinical genomics analysis platform serving hospitals, labs, and pharma with multimodal NGS interpretation. Directly comparable to VarSome Clinical on customer base, AI-led interpretation, and CE-IVD positioning.
- Congenica: Clinical genomic variant interpretation platform for rare disease and somatic oncology, sold to labs and hospitals. Closely comparable product (annotated variant interpretation) and customer overlap (clinical labs, hospitals).
- Fabric Genomics: Clinical genomics interpretation platform with AI-driven variant classification for hereditary disease and oncology. Directly comparable on ACMG-aligned interpretation, lab customers, and enterprise clinical sales motion.
- Velsera: Genomics analysis platform formed from Seven Bridges and PierianDx, offering clinical NGS interpretation, biomarker discovery, and pharma genomics tools. Comparable on clinical interpretation workflows and pharma/biotech customers.
- DNAnexus: Cloud-based genomics data management and analysis platform used by clinical labs, hospitals, and pharma. Comparable on data infrastructure, NGS pipeline integration, and pharma R&D customers.
Broad incumbents
- Illumina (BaseSpace, DRAGEN): Dominant sequencing instrument vendor that bundles DRAGEN secondary analysis and BaseSpace interpretation with its instruments and reagents. Overlaps with VarSome on secondary and tertiary NGS analysis for the same lab customers.
- Qiagen Digital Insights: Provider of QCI Interpret and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis for clinical and research variant interpretation. Directly comparable tertiary analysis product for clinical labs and broad pharma use.
- Tempus Labs: AI-enabled precision medicine platform combining NGS testing with proprietary data library for oncology and pharma R&D. Comparable on clinical oncology interpretation, pharma data licensing, and biomarker-driven trial support.
Emerging players
- Lifebit: Cloud genomics and biomedical data platform focused on federated analysis for clinical and pharma customers. Comparable on cloud-native genomics infrastructure and pharma/biotech data products, but with a more infrastructure-led angle.
- BC Platforms: Genomics data and real-world evidence platform serving pharma and precision medicine customers. Comparable on RWE-style pharma data products overlapping with VarSome Insights.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Saphetor social profiles
Digital presenceSaphetor compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance10 records
Saphetor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Saphetor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Saphetor subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Saphetor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Saphetor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Saphetor
What does Saphetor do?
Saphetor develops and sells the VarSome suite, an AI-enhanced genomic data analysis platform that performs variant calling, annotation, classification, visualization, and report generation for next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. The suite includes a freely accessible community platform (VarSome.com), professional subscription tiers (VarSome Premium, VarSome Clinical), an integration API (VarSome API), and a real-world search data product (VarSome Insights) for pharmaceutical and biotech customers.
Is Saphetor a public or private company?
Saphetor is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Saphetor founded?
Saphetor was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Saphetor based?
Saphetor is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Saphetor make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. VarSome Subscription Tiers are the primary driver. The others are varSome.com Free Tier and enterprise Licensing.
Who are Saphetor's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sophia Genetics, Congenica, Fabric Genomics, Velsera and DNAnexus. Broad incumbents are Illumina (BaseSpace, DRAGEN), Qiagen Digital Insights and Tempus Labs. Emerging players are Lifebit and BC Platforms.
Does Saphetor have an API?
Yes. VarSome API enables bioinformatics groups to integrate the VarSome database and classifiers into existing in-house pipelines. Available via cloud-based or on-premises installations. Allows teams to focus on analysis rather than database management by connecting to VarSome's annotation and classification capabilities directly.
What industry is Saphetor in?
Saphetor's product category is Clinical Genomics Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGANAA, Genomics & Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Services, with a secondary code of HLAGAEAD, Genomics & Molecular Diagnostics (Trial Support). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7370.